Heartbeat January 2021

January 2021 

Sandwell and West Birmingham 

NHS Trust 

The pulse of community health, Leasowes, Rowley Regis, City Hospital, Sandwell General and the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital 

Issue 137 

– innovation, evidence and actions 

lead to success at annual poster competition 

Page 3 

Our annual quality improvement poster competition was celebrated online in a socially distanced event earlier this month 

Making your 

wellbeing a 

priority in 2021 

Getting frank about 

bereavement 

Celebrating the 

success of the 

COVID-19 vaccination 

Be inspired by 

Heidi's incredible 

journey 

Page 5 

Page 6 

Pages 16-17 

Page 19

FROM THE CHAIR 

HELLO 

New Year, New Start: 

New chance to get the vaccine! 

Welcome to your January 2021 

edition of Heartbeat. 

We kick off the new year with the 

good news that our vaccination 

hubs are in full swing - an important 

step forward in our battle against 

COVID-19. 

We also bring you inspirational stories 

such as Heidi's weightloss journey, 

news of relaxation rooms in the 

community and a chance to win an 

Apple watch! 

Enjoy :) 

Contact us 

Communications Team 

Ext 5303 

swbh.comms@nhs.net 

Communications Department 

Ground Floor, Trinity House 

Sandwell Hospital 

Published by 

Communications Team 


Hospitals NHS Trust 

Designed by 

Medical Illustration, 

Graphics Team 


Hospitals NHS Trust 

Submit an idea 

If you’d like to submit an idea 

for an article, contact the 

communications team 

Ext 5303 

swbh.comms@nhs.net 

Stay updated 

We send out a Communications 

Bulletin via email every day and you 

can now read Heartbeat articles 

throughout the month on Connect. 

Don't forget you can follow us on: 

It is probably not a surprise that I begin the 

first edition of our 2021 Heartbeat with 

positive encouragement to all of you, to 

get the vaccine against COVID-19. The 

centre spread in this edition shows how 

quickly our partners and our Trust teams 

have responded to getting vaccine centres 

up and running. I am pleased to see the 

fantastic partnership working across 

primary care in our communities and at 

our acute hospital sites. We have made a 

fantastic start in vaccinating first our most 

vulnerable staff and patients, those working 

in high-risk areas, care home and home 

care workers and are now vaccinating every 

employee. 

If you have not yet had your vaccination, 

please take the time to book in to one of 

the clinics. Up to date availability, locations, 

times and guidance is regularly shared in 

Trust communications. The vaccination 

programme, we know, is a marathon 

and not a sprint and we must put all our 

efforts behind vaccinating as many in our 

SWBH community and the wider Sandwell 

and West Birmingham area. Achieving 

protection for the majority of people who 

are at risk from COVID-19 is vital in ending 

the restrictions we have been living with to 

some extent over the past nine months. The 

vaccine gives us hope for the future. 

I know there is a lot of misinformation out 

there and some people are reluctant to 

receive their dose of a vaccine developed 

remarkably quickly. But I want to stress 

that our leading clinical experts are fully 

supportive of the vaccines that have been 

approved by the MHRA for use in the UK. 

No step was missed in the development 

of the vaccine. We know that it offers 

protection and will do so for months ahead. 

COVID-19 is a real and present danger 

which is why I join you in your frustrations 

over news stories of COVID deniers sharing 

images of so-called “empty” hospitals. No 

hospital in the country is free from COVID, 

and all are battling within their current 

facilities to treat the patients who need 

them, and most are continuing to expand to 

meet the serious increase in those who are 

critically unwell. My thanks and admiration 

goes to all of you who are facing these 

pressures day in, day out. The physical and 

emotional toll on you is significant, and I 

hope you are getting the wellbeing support 

you need. Please get in touch if you think 

there is more we could do. 

The risks of COVID-19 are serious. The 

vaccine is proven to be safe and effective. 

So I implore you, if you are worried about 

the vaccine or want more information, have 

a look at the information we have in this 

magazine. You can also go to our COVID-19 

vaccine page on Connect, talk to your 

clinical leads and look at the information 

published nationally by the NHS, the trusted 

source for up to date clinical information. 

We have staff Q&A sessions dedicated 

to the COVID vaccine - please join one 

of these as they allow you to raise your 

queries. Alternatively, have a look at the 

recordings of the sessions or the FAQs we 

have published on Connect. 

Vaccination means protection for you, 

your colleagues and your patients, as 

well as your family and friends. And it 

will, in time, mean an end to the cycle of 

lockdowns, closures, educational disruption, 

travel restrictions and impact on our local 

businesses and employment. We need this 

vaccine for the health of our population. 

Please take up your opportunity. 

Richard Samuda, Trust Chairman 

Chairman, Richard Samuda

Radical trachelectomy 

Removal of cervix, upper vagina 

and proximal parametrium plus 

pelvic lymphadenectomy 

Cervical isthmic glands 

The junction between the uterine corpus and the cervix is termed the isthmus. It is 

defined histologically by its deficient muscle layer and the presence of isthmic glands and 

endometrium. The presence of endometrial tissue or isthmic glands within the 

trachelectomy specimen denotes complete amputation of the cervix. 

27/36 

attempted 

conception 

13/43 (30.2%) 

simple 

trachelectomy 

10 

5 

0 

52 trachelectomy 

patients 

43 patients included 

Obstetric outcomes 

for 36 patients 

15/27 

conceived 

(55.6%) 

Isthmic glands 

Conceived 

30/43 (69.8%) 

radical 

trachelectomy 

21 

pregnancies 

1 excluded as 8 weeks 

gestation at data collection 

No isthmic glands 

Did not conceive 

9 excluded: 

- radical hysterectomy (n=4) 

- progressive disease and died (n=2) 

- pathology slides missing (n=3) 

7 excluded: 

- lost to follow-up (n=5) 

- declined participation (n=1) 

- premature ovarian failure (n=1) 

2 miscarriages 

1 termination 

17/20 (85.0%) 

live births 

References 

1) F. Bray et al. (2018) ‘Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries’. CA: 

Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 68(6), pp. 394-424. 2) Cancer Research UK. Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancerstatistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer#heading-Zero 

3) M.J. Halaska et al. (2015) ‘The role of trachelectomy in cervical cancer’. 

Ecancermedicalscience. 9, pp. 506 4) F. Novak (1952) Radical abdominal subcorporeal extirpation of the cervix with bilateral pelvic lymph nodes 

dissection in cancer in situ of the cervix uteri’. Acta Medical Lugoslavica. 6(1), pp. 59-71. 5) E. Bentivegna et al. (2016) ‘Fertility results and pregnancy 

outcomes after conservative treatment of cervical cancer: a systematic review of the literature’. Fertility and Sterility. 106(5), pp. 1195-1211. 6) F.J. 

Bruinsma et al. (2011) ‘The risk of preterm birth following treatment for precancerous changes in the cervix: A systematic review and meta-analysis’. 

BJOG. 118(9), pp. 1031-1041. 7) L.C.Y. Poon et al. (2012) ‘Large loop excision of transformation zone and cervical length in the prediction of spontaneous 

preterm delivery’. BJOG. 119(6), pp. 692-698. 8). S. Pils et al. (2014). ‘Sequential cervical length screening in pregnancies after loop excision of the 

transformation zone conisation: A retrospective analysis’. BJOG. 121(4), pp. 457-462. 9) F. Terms (1952). ‘II: the anatomy of the uterine cervix and 

isthmus’. Acta Radiologica. 91, pp. 9-12. 

Specialist 

input 

Targeted support 

including training 

Universal Support 

including screening 

welearn – innovation , evidence and 

actions lead poster competition 

Our annual poster competition 

culminated in a socially distanced 

online ceremony earlier this month 

when the contestants came together 

to showcase their hard work with a 

hope to be the lucky winner of a £5,000 

grand prize. 

From just shy of 100 posters submitted, 

11 shortlisted finalists had the opportunity 

to present their poster to an audience of 

their peers and judges, highlighting how 

their work shows good practice, provide 

quality improvements, supports innovation, 

research or partnership working, and 

most importantly how it has resulted in 

improvements for patients, relatives and 

colleagues. 

Announcing the results of the staff voted 

for ‘People’s Choice Award’ fell to Chief 

Finance Officer, Dinah McLannahan who 

awarded it to Louise Tromans for her poster 

entitled ‘A well timed innovation in imageguided 

pre-operative breast localisation’. 

Presenting the award, Dinah highlighted 

how the innovative work deploying the use 

of RFID tags had made a significant impact 

to breast cancer patients, improving their 

surgical outcomes and allowing procedure 

to continue even throughout the disruption 

brought on by COVID-19. 

Announcing the first of the highly 

commended runners up fell to Non- 

Executive Director, Professor Kate Thomas 

who awarded Jason Yap and the Gynaeoncology 

team for their poster titled, ‘An 

innovative surgery which offers women 

with cervical cancer the opportunity to 

preserve fertility’. Awarding the team, Kate 

said: “This poster tells a very clear story 

through illustrations, graphs and text, it’s a 

fantastic story of how gynaecologists in this 

Trust have implemented a fantastic surgery 

that allows women with cervical cancer a 

chance to preserve their fertility. The poster 

shows how the proportion of women 

undergoing the surgery and going on to 

have at least one live baby is greater than 

that of published literature.” 

The last highly commended award was 

presented by Head of Improvement, 

Melanie Griffith to Diya Baker from the 

Department of Ophthalmology for their 

poster ‘Assessing patient perspective of 

pre-printed forms in vitreo-retinal surgery’. 

Announcing her awards, Melanie said: “This 

poster is one that was very data driven, 

involved patients, took the time to gather 

data and took the time to design the test 

and from improvement terms did a fantastic 

job. Patients are really benefiting from this 

improvement with this work". 

The winner of the £5,000 grand prize was 

announced by Acting Chief Executive and 

Medical Director, Dr David Carruthers and 

went to Kathryn Dunn from the Department 

of Speech and Language Therapy for her 

poster entitled ‘Service Improvement – Speech 

and Language Therapy Services to mainstream 

schools’. Commending the poster, David said: 

“This poster showed evidence based change 

in practice, with engagement with service 

users, collaboration across systems and efforts 

targeted where the need was greatest.” 

12 welearn2020 

Sandwell and 

West Birmingham 

NHS 

NHS 

Trust 

Trust 

A well timed innovation in image-guided 

pre-operative A well timed innovation breast in image-guided 

localisation 

pre-operative breast localisation 

INTRODUCTION 

One third of breast cancers are not palpable at diagnosis (McGugin et al, 

2019); accurate excision and the minimum number of surgical procedures 

is reliant on pre-operative image guided localisation. Hook wires deployed 

on the day of surgery protruding from the skin have been the 

established technique, but the many disadvantages lead us to consider 

the latest alternatives. In November 2019 the Breast Imaging and 

Surgical team collaborated to evaluate Radiofrequency identification 

(RFID) tags. 

Improve 

theatre 

efficiency 

Improve 

efficiency 

of Rapid 

Access 

clinic 

Scheduling 

not limited 

to day of 

surgery 

Why go 

‘wireless’? 

Flexibility in 

surgical 

incision 

RFID TAGS – How do they work? 

The tag is deployed percutaneously using a 12G pre-loaded applicator, 

similar to a marker clip placed at the time of biopsy. The procedure may be 

performed any time in advance of the surgery date. The tag is radiation 

free and passive. A reader emits radio waves and receives information 

from the tag. An audible noise that increases in pitch as the reader is 

moved closer to the tags location is an additional feature. 

REFERENCES 

Cheang et al (2018) ‘Innovations in image-guided preoperative breast lesion 

localisation’ British Journal of Radiology. 91(1085), 20170740 

McGugin et al (2019) ‘Radiofrequency identification tag localization is comparable to 

wire localization for non-palpable breast lesions’ Breast Cancer Research & 

Treatment. 177(3), pp. 735-739. 

SWBH (2017) ‘Cavity Shave Audit’ Conducted by Dr Ian Rea Specialty Doctor 

L. Tromans Consultant Radiographer 

Less patient 

anxiety and 

discomfort 

IMPLEMENTATION 

All Breast Surgeons and Imaging Consultants were involved in training 

sessions to ensure competency. Single lesions were selected in the first 

instance and mammograms were performed on the day of surgery to 

check for any migration. A prospective data base was devised to log all 

patients and record our experiences. The familiar concepts and 

technology resulted in a short learning curve. The technique was 

accepted by the team and welcomed even more so when surgery was 

forced to take place off site due to Covid-19. 

RESULTS 

117 under 

Ultrasound control 

22 X-ray guided 

95% 

accurately 

sited 

6 patients still 

needed wire 

139 tags deployed 

in 129 patients 

IMPROVEMENTS 

Data Period 

19/11/19 – 

30/9/20 

113 patients with 

final histology 

available 

107 malignant 

lesions 

5 surgical excision 

biopsy 

1 lymph node 

Malignant 

lesions: 

16 patients with 

positive margins 

Re-excision rate 

of 15% 

Visibility on 

ultrasound, ease 

of use and 

procedure time 

recorded by 

Imaging for first 

40 cases 

97% graded good 

or very good 

visibility on 

ultrasound 

65% graded easy 

or very easy to 

deploy 

Average imaging 

procedure time = 

12 mins 

• Un-coupling of localisation and surgery - delays in surgical schedule 

due to pre-operative procedures are eliminated 

• Flexible scheduling in Imaging department that does not impact on the 

flow of patients through Rapid Access Clinic (RAC) 

• Placement of tag well tolerated by patients and adverse reactions less 

likely - vasovagal reactions are reported in 10-20% of patients having 

wires who would be nil by mouth at the time (Cheang et al, 2018) 

• Potential reduction in re-excision rate – 15% for this data period, 

compared with 20% previously (SWBH Audit 2017) 

• Flexibility for surgeon in skin incision site, ability to perform own skin 

marking in theatre as opposed to in the Imaging department, 

improved cosmesis 

• Off-site surgery during Covid-19 pandemic much less 

problematic, tag insertion co-ordinated with pre-admission 

appointments to minimise visits, resulting in minimal delays in 

breast cancer treatment 

THEATRE & 

RAC 

EFFICIENCY 

PATIENT 

EXPERIENCE 

CONTINUED 

TREATMENT 

DURING COVID 

L. Tromans Consultant Radiographer Breast Imaging 

Popular Vote winner 


Breast Imaging 

Sandwell and 


NHS 

NHS 

Trust 

Trust 

Quality Improvement Project: Assessing patient perspective 

of pre-printed consent forms in vitreo-retinal surgery 

Introduction 

Autonomy is a pillar of medical ethics. The consenting process, of which 

the consent form is an integral part, is where patient autonomy is directly 

exercised. Therefore, it should be undertaken vigilantly and should not be a 

tick-box exercise as ruled in the Montgomery v Lancashire Health Board case 1 . 

Retinal detachment surgery conducted at the Birmingham Midlands Eye 

Centre (BMEC) is consented with hand-written consent forms. These often 

have issues with legibility, missing information and high variability resulting in 

increased errors in the consenting process. The MDU states ‘Allegations often 

centre on inadequate consent, unexpected intra-operative and post-operative 

complications’ in ophthalmology 2 . 

This Quality Improvement Project (QIP) aimed: 

‘To improve patient understanding of retinal detachment procedure by 

introducing consent form, which is legible, contains correct information 

and fulfils other GMC standards’ 

Methodology 

Cycle 1: 

• A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was carried out over 30 days at a 

tertiary eye hospital where hand-written consent forms are employed in 

retinal detachment surgery. 

• Patients were offered an anonymous questionnaire with 29 items to assess 

understanding of the consent process, consent form information and 

procedure specific risks. 

• These 29 items were simplified standards of GMC guidance on consent. 

• Additional questions were asked regarding the patient experience of the 

consenting process. 

• A randomised selection of 50 patients across the hospital completed the 

questionnaire and were analysed in a blinded fashion. 

GMC standards 3 : 

44. ‘ Before accepting a patient’s consent, you must consider whether they 

have been given the information they want or need, and how well 

they understand the details and implications of what is proposed.’ 

28. ‘ Clear, accurate information about the risks of any proposed 

investigation or treatment, presented in a way patients can 

understand, can help them make informed decisions.’ 

Noteworthy Results for Cycle 1 

28/50 (56%) understood the consent form wholly 

Only 24/50 (48%) felt the form was entirely legible. 

Only 21/50 (42%) thought consent form made clear the risks of the operation 

11/50 (22%) agreed that not all risks of the 

procedure discussed were documented 

Only 9/50 (18%) agreed that the consent 

form documented the patients’ wishes 

Average score of 57% when quizzed about the consenting process 

Improvement 

A pre-printed consent form was designed by the senior author aiming to 

address the issues highlighted by the patients; namely: absence of risks, issues 

with legibility and absence of patient wishes. 

D. Baker, M. Hamzah Amin, R. Chaudhary and S. Ch’ng 

Cycle 2: 

Highly commended poster 

• This new pre-printed consent form was then employed in the 

consenting process. 

• Another cross-sectional survey was conducted where patient 

perspectives of the new consent form were obtained via a 

questionnaire. 

• The questionnaire was the same as the one in the first cycle except a 

few questions were added. 

• There were all based on GMC standards listed in cycle 1. 

Noteworthy Results for Cycle 2 

38/50 (76%) were able to read/understand the consent form wholly 

Data Comparison 

47/50 (94%) found pre-printed consent forms 

more useful than hand-written consent forms. 

49/50 (98%) concurred that the consent form 

made clear the risks of the operation 

7/50 (14%) agreed that not all risks of the 

procedure discussed were documented 

33/50 (66%) agreed that the consent form 

documented the patients’ wishes 

Average score of 62% when quizzed about the consenting process 

Discussion 

• Pre-printed consent forms have been shown to improve patient 

understanding of retinal detachment procedure including its risks and 

other GMC standards. 

• These new consent forms are now used in the consenting process of all 

retinal detachment procedures. 

• There are still improvements to be made which would be trialled in 

future QIPs. 

• Pre-printed consent forms can be used in other surgical procedures in 

ophthalmology and outside ophthalmology as we believe the results 

could be generalised. 

References 

Court T. Montgomery (Appellant) v Lanarkshire Health Board (Respondent) 

(Scotland) - The Supreme Court [Internet]. Supremecourt.uk. 2020 [cited 11 October 

2020]. Available from: https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2013-0136.html 

Claims in ophthalmology - The MDU [Internet]. Themdu.com. 2020 [cited 11 October 

2020]. Available from: https://www.themdu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/claimsin-ophthalmology 

GMC. [Internet]. Gmc-uk.org. 2020 [cited 11 October 2020]. Available from: https:// 

www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/gmc-guidance-for-doctors---consent---english_ 

pdf-48903482.pdf?la=en&hash=588792FBA39749E57D881FD2E33A851918F4CE7E 

Department of Ophthalmology 

COVID-19 

If you haven’t yet seen the posters, they 

will remain on display in the Education 

Centre at Sandwell. If you have the 

opportunity to do so, you can find out 

about the great quality improvement 

initiatives taking place across the Trust. 

You can also see the posters on 

Connect in the welearn section. 


R. R. Pounds, D. D. O’Neill, N. N. Scully, N. N. Marriott, J. Balega, R. Ganesan, 

K. J. Singh, Balega, J. R. Yap Ganesan, K. Singh, J. Yap 

Sandwell and 


NHS Trust 

An innovative An innovative surgery surgery which which offers offers women with 

Cervical Cancer the opportunity to preserve Fertility 

women with Cervical Cancer the opportunity to preserve Fertility 

Introduction 

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer amongst women worldwide 

and usually affects young women of child-bearing age. [1,2] In countries with a 

robust screening programme, most women are diagnosed with early stage 

disease. [2,3] Those with FIGO stage IB1 disease or less [3] and who desire 

fertility may be suitable for fertility sparing surgery (FSS). This involves removal 

of the cervix (simple trachelectomy) or removal of the cervix, upper vagina, 

proximal parametrium and pelvic lymph nodes (radical trachelectomy). [4] Our 

centre established FFS for women with early cervical cancer in 2010 and FSS can 

be undertaken through vaginal, laparotomy or laparoscopic approach. 

How does FSS influence obstetric outcomes? 

Adverse obstetric outcomes, such as the ability to conceive, miscarriage and 

pre-term labour, [5] are believed to be influenced by the residual cervical length 

following trachelectomy. [6-8] However, there is no defined cervical 

measurement associated with these risks and it is often difficult to establish the 

amount of cervix amputated as tissues contract when placed in formalin and 

many have had prior cervical surgery (cold knife excision biopsy or large loop 

excision of the transformation zone). 

Does complete amputation of the cervix influence outcomes? 

The cervix is joined to the corpus uteri by the isthmus, the narrowest portion of 

the uterine canal and marks the lowest aspect of the uterus. [9] The presence of 

isthmic glands in pathology specimens indicates the entire cervix has been 

completely removed. 

Objectives and Methods 

Primary objective: To evaluate patients’ conception rate and pregnancy 

outcomes in women who successfully had FFS. 

Secondary objectives: 

1. To determine if complete cervical amputation (presence of isthmic glands in 

histological specimen) influences fertility and obstetric outcomes compared 

to partial cervical amputation (isthmic glands not observed). 

2. To evaluate if disease recurrence and survival is affected by complete 

cervical amputation 

Methods: Consecutive patients referred to the Pan Birmingham Gynaecological 

Cancer Centre (PBGCC) with early stage (≤ FIGO stage IB1) cervical cancer 

between 1st August 2010 and 31st May 2018 were identified. Those who 

underwent FSS were included and retrospectively analysed. All patients had a 

cervical cerclage inserted following FSS. Specialist gynaecological oncology 

histopathologists determined whether isthmic glands were present in 

trachelectomy specimens. 

Patients completed a standardised questionnaire about their fertility and 

obstetric history prior to FSS and completed another questionnaire postoperatively 

in May 2020. 


Results 

• Isthmic glands present in 26/43 cases (60.5%) 

• No difference in complete amputation rates between surgical approach 

(laparoscopic n=22, vaginal n=17, open abdominal n=4; p=0.6690) or 

between radical and simple procedures (p=0.9245) 

Obstetric outcomes 

• Live birth rate reported in our cohort was 85% 

• 44.4% (12/27) referred to fertility services 

• Miscarriage rate of those attempting pregnancy: 7.4% (2/27) 

• 48.1% (13/27) of women attempting pregnancy had at least one live 

birth 

• Pre-term delivery (

Research is everyone’s business 

COVID-19 

Research improves all aspects of care, 

and our patients have a right to be 

informed about research relevant to 

them 

In the last ten months or so, research 

has been centre stage. It has led 

to the vaccinations that are now 

available to prevent COVID-19 and 

the treatments that we know work 

best for our patients who have the 

infection. Research improves all 

aspects of care, and our patients 

have a right to be informed about 

research relevant to them and their 

health condition. It is just one reason 

why research is everyone’s business 

was January’s QIHD shared learning 

topic. 

To get a better understanding of 

why research is everyone’s business, 

Heartbeat caught up with Gina Dutton, 

Head of Research and Development. 

She told us: “We know that patients 

want to be informed about research 

opportunities, and they can then freely 

choose whether they wish to take part 

or not. To help patients be more aware 

of the option to participate in research 

as part of their care, it is vital that we all 

feel comfortable talking about research. 

“We have 543 members of staff taking 

part as participants in the SIREN study. 

If each of us in the study tells two other 

people they are taking part, nearly 

1100 will know about research. If we 

Gina Dutton - Head of Research and 

Development 

all tell four people - more than 2000 people 

will become more familiar with research. It 

is a simple yet effective way of spreading 

awareness around this topic.” 

DID YOU KNOW? 

• Our Trust takes part in lots of different 

research projects all of the time. 

• What do we mean by research? Research 

might be a clinical trial looking at 

improved drugs. It could also be a short 

questionnaire about how you manage 

your health condition, or as we have 

been doing during the pandemic, asking 

patients for a blood sample to look at 

genetic factors which might determine 

why some people get COVID-19 worse 

than others. 

• Our patients are protected. Research 

is regulated and reviewed by an ethics 

committee, the Health Research 

Gina has shared her experience of being a 

research participant on BBC radio several 

times. She told us: “Many people are 

unaware that they might be able to take 

part in research when they attend their GP 

or hospital. We must talk about research 

involvement so patients know that it is an 

optional part of their care and they can 

discuss this with their families in the same 

way as they may discuss whether to have 

blood tests, x-rays or treatments.” 

Want to understand more so that you can 

support research within our organisation? 

There are some short courses are available 

online that are suitable for all colleagues: 

• What is health research? 

www.futurelearn.com/courses/ 

what-is-health-research 

• Improving healthcare through 

clinical research www.futurelearn. 

com/courses/clinical-research 

If you would like someone from R&D 

to talk to you or your team about 

improving your understanding of 

research, please contact Gina Dutton at 

G.Dutton1@nhs.net. 

Authority, funders and for studies 

involving medicines, the Medicines and 

Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, 

to make sure that the research is high 

quality. 

• Often people with the condition are also 

involved in developing the research, 

which makes it more relevant. 

• Be Part of Research is a national website 

which provides information for patients 

about research - https://bepartofresearch. 

nihr.ac.uk/index. Taking a few minutes 

to look at this website will help you feel 

more confident about taking part 

yourself if asked, and helping our patients 

understand that research is part of our 

care. 

Want to relax and unwind in a safe place? Visit the 

Wellbeing Sanctuary and enjoy a range of free treatments 

including a massage, meditation and relaxation hypnotherapy. 

Call 0121 507 5886 to book 

your free session today. 

Wellbeing 

4

Better Health – Every Mind Matters 

On the frontline and in the thick of it, 

working long shifts clad from head to 

toe in PPE and constantly reminded of 

the devastating effects of COVID you 

wouldn’t be human if it didn’t affect 

you. But you’re not alone. 

Recently, a new study commissioned by 

Public Health England (PHE) found that 

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact 

on the mental health of adults across the 

country as they battle to keep themselves 

safe and long to return to normality. 

The research found that almost half (49 

per cent) felt that the pandemic had 

impacted negatively on their mental health 

and wellbeing (53 per cent of women and 

45 per cent of men). Of those surveyed, 

significant proportions of the population 

said they had been experiencing more 

anxiety (46 per cent), stress (44 per cent), 

sleep problems (34 per cent) and low 

mood (46 per cent) over the course of the 

pandemic. The following were the most 

common reasons people thought the 

lockdown had negatively impacted their 

mental health: 

• 56 per cent missing friends 

and family; and loneliness 

33 per cent 

• 53 per cent uncertainty 

about the future; with 

financial and employment 

worries 27 per cent 

• 53 per cent worried about 

family’s safety and health 

However, at the same time 3 in 5 (60 per 

cent) of those asked say they feel hopeful 

about the future. Many adults (75 per cent) 

reported that they are planning to take or 

have taken steps to look after their mental 

wellbeing, with exercising regularly (32 per 

cent) eating well (29 per cent) and talking 

more to family and friends (28 per cent) 

being the main actions. 

To support people during this time, PHE has 

launched a nationwide Better Health - Every 

Mind Matters campaign to support people 

to take action to look after their mental 

health and wellbeing and help support 

others such as family and friends. 

The campaign encourages people to get 

a free NHS-approved Mind Plan from the 

Every Mind Matters website. By answering 

five simple questions, adults will get a 

personalised action plan with practical tips 

to help them deal with stress and anxiety, 

boost their mood, sleep better and feel 

more in control. Over 2.6 million mind 

plans have been created since it launched in 

October 2019. 

Locally, since the beginning of the pandemic, 

the team at Black Country Healthcare 

NHS Foundation Trust (BCHFT) have been 

supporting people across the Black Country 

with mental health, learning disabilities 

and children’s services – all of which have 

remained in operation, allowing service users 

to maintain usual routes of contact. 

The Trust’s Improving Access to Psychological 

Therapies (IAPT) service helps those who are 

experiencing mental health problems such 

as low mood, depression, anxiety, and stress. 

IAPT Clinical Lead, Susan van Genderen and 

IAPT Manager shared her top tips and advice 

for managing wellbeing, keeping healthy, and 

remaining positive during lockdown. 

Susan commented: “Firstly, I think it’s really 

important that we hold onto the hope that 

things will be better soon. Making loose plans 

for the future, such as thinking about holidays 

and Christmas gives us something to focus on 

For IAPT services: 

Sandwell Healthy Minds 

www.sandwellhealthyminds.nhs.uk 

0303 033 9903 

Wolverhampton Healthy Minds 

www.wolverhamptonhealthyminds.nhs.uk 

0800 923 0222 or 01902 441 856 

Alongside BCHFT’s services, they also 

launched a new mental health helpline in 

April last year, to give people across the 

Black Country access to urgent mental 

health, learning disability and/or autism 

support. The phone line is available 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week for all ages, 

COVID-19 

and keeps us moving forward. 

“Limiting access to the news is also 

beneficial for our mental health – we 

only need to listen to the headlines once 

a day otherwise it can become very 

overwhelming. 

“Exercise – even 10 minutes will lift 

your mood if you are short on time. 

It will allow you to use all your visual 

perception senses and stimulate your 

brain. When you stay in, your eyes only 

focus on things close to you, and that 

doesn’t give as much stimulation as 

being able to look at things far away. 

We need the variety.” 

She continued: “Keep talking, whether 

it’s a phone call to a colleague instead of 

an email, a video call with a loved one 

or a catch-up with a friend – everyone 

needs this connection. 

“Finally, there can be lots of feelings of 

frustration and anger during this time 

– but this doesn’t make us feel good. 

Focus on the people who are helping 

others and showing kindness, and try 

and be kind in your views of others.” 

Dudley IAPT 

www.dihc.nhs.uk/find-a-service/dudley-talking-therapy-service 

0800 953 0404 

Walsall IAPT 

www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/talking-therapies-healthyminds-services/walsall-talking-therapies 

0800 953 0995 

Free online cognitive behavioural therapy programmes are available via: 

• Dudley - www.dihc.nhs.uk/find-a-service/dudley-talking-therapy-service 

• Walsall - walsalltalkingtherapy.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/ 

• Sandwell and Wolverhampton - bcpft.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/ 

and particularly suited to those who feel 

like they need urgent help. The helpline 

is manned by specialist mental health 

staff who will provide advice, support and 

signposting over the phone. 

The 24/7 phone line can be accessed by 

calling 0800 0086516. 

5

Getting to grips with grief 

COVID-19 

At home or at work, many of us are 

thinking about loved ones’ lost or 

deeply unwell. We watch as patients 

succumb to diseases despite our very 

best efforts, and we triumph when we 

see patients recuperate and recover. 

It’s often the tragedies that take the 

greatest toll but it’s really important to 

find space and scope to talk, think and 

get to grips with your grief. 

Grief is absolutely not a taboo subject in 

our Trust, it’s incredibly important that 

colleagues take the time to talk to each 

other and share the compassionate care 

that we often save for patients, for each 

other in this difficult time. 

COVID-19 has deeply affected many and 

there are a host of services now available 

to support with feelings of grief and 

bereavement. If you feel you need to speak 

to a professional, you can call occupational 

health on 0121 507 3306. Alternatively, 

there are a whole host of national resources 

that are available, all at end of a phone and 

completely confidential. 

Grief is not a taboo subject 

Confidential support by phone: 

• General: 

0800 06 96 222 (7am-11pm) 

• Bereavement: 

0300 303 4434 (8am-8pm) 

Support by text message: 

• Text ‘FRONTLINE’ to 85258 – 

24 hours a day, seven days a week 

If you are a manager and you would like 

to build upon your understanding of grief 

and bereavement, you can access a brand 

new resource that has been developed by 

NHS England and NHS Improvement with 

support from a wide range of organisations. 

Visit https://www.england.nhs. 

uk/publication/our-nhs-peopleunderstanding-different-bereavementpractices-and-how-our-colleagues-mayexperience-grief/ 

This resource enables line managers to be 

able to confidently start conversations with 

staff who have experienced loss in a more 

compassionate way, as a result of gaining a 

deeper understanding of the different ways 

in which our colleagues may experience 

bereavement, noting the varying practices 

different religions and cultures may follow. 

Members of the bereavement team 

Did you know that you can download 

treatment-specific patient information 

leaflets from the EIDO Healthcare 

website for FREE? 

EIDO has hundreds of patient leaflets for different procedures that 

are being carried out across the Trust. 

They are available in an easy-to-read format and 

in different languages. 

Patient information for hundreds of procedures carried out across 

the Trust can be downloaded for free and passed on to patients 

to help them better understand the procedure they may be 

undergoing. Many of these are available in different languages and 

formats and help patients to give informed consent. 

Visit Connect Clinical Systems EIDO PT Leaflets. 

For more information, please contact the communications team 

on ext.5303 or email swbh.comms@nhs.net 

6

Cleaning with Confidence – Confidently 

showing everything is clean 

COVID-19 

I Am Clean stickers will be used to easily identify what items have been sanitised and 

when 

COVID-19 has once again proven to 

us that spotlessly clean wards and 

attention to detail isn’t just something 

that we aim for but something that we 

must see as our standard. Every ward 

area should be spotlessly clean, every 

colleague should be seen to carefully 

wash their hands and, every piece of 

equipment should be identifiable as 

being clean. 

When it comes to equipment on wards, 

there has always been a standing rule that 

everything must be sanitised after use, 

but how do you know when it is clean? 

Many of the germs, bacteria and virus are 

incredibly small and can be spread without 

knowing. This is where our latest change in 

practice comes in to play with the rollout of 

our ‘I am clean’ stickers. 

Colleagues no longer need to assume that 

equipment has been cleaned. They can now 

look to see if it carries a fresh ‘I am clean’ 

sign, showing not only that it has been 

sanitised but also when it was last sanitised. 

As well as being a helpful sign, the new 

stickers help build confidence in our practices 

and processes. When patients see a blood 

pressure monitor or even a commode being 

brought to them, they will see that it carries a 

sticker that shows it has been cleaned. 

To find out more about the new process, 

Heartbeat caught up Infection Prevention 

and Control Nurse, Louise Wilkins. She 

said: “COVID-19 has had a considerable 

impact on our patients and we have 

changed our processes so that we can 

be confident that everything is sanitised. 

We have always ensured staff sanitise 

equipment after use, but we needed a 

visual to support our efforts. We know 

that sometimes it can be easy to assume 

that something is clean if it looks clean, 

without a visual sign, how do you know? 

This is where the new signs and stickers 

help - they remind staff to stop, check 

and sanitise if needed. 

“We must build responsibility into our 

processes and, these stickers are a 

reminder to colleagues that although 

someone will have taken the time to 

sanitise equipment after use, it’s your 

responsibility to review the sticker and 

assess whether it needs to be sanitised 

again before use. 

“The stickers are also a very welcome 

sign to patients, a lot of work goes into 

cleaning, sanitising and preparing every 

bed, bay, surface and piece of equipment 

in a ward, but the patients often have 

to assume this has been done. The new 

stickers clearly show that someone has 

taken the time to clean and sanitise the 

equipment. 

“Along with the new stickers, we’re also 

encouraging colleagues to complete 

the new ‘Cleaning for Confidence’ 

e-learning package that’s now on offer. 

The e-learning programme outlines the 

fundamentals of cleaning, intending to 

reduce the risks of cross-infection during 

the COVID-19 pandemic, and promoting 

confidence in our patients and service 

users in continuing to access NHS 

services. The e-learning session takes 

approximately 20 minutes to complete 

and, a certificate will be generated on 

completion of the e-learning. 

Everyone who completes the Cleaning 

for Confidence programme will 

become a cleaning champion, having 

demonstrated their commitment to 

keeping colleagues, patients and their 

families’ safe every day.” 

To find out more about the Infection 

Prevention and Control practices and 

programmes, contact ext 5900. 

7

Not all heroes wear capes but they 

do all wear masks 

COVID-19 

Recently there has been a notable 

rise in Coronavirus infections within 

healthcare settings and in the 

community – and in response, you’ll no 

doubt be aware that we have stepped 

up our personal protective equipment 

(PPE) provisions. But, regardless of our 

rules, you can only be safe if everyone 

follows them. 

We know that if PPE is not worn correctly, 

social distancing is not maintained and 

cleaning best practices are not followed, 

then outbreaks are likely. An outbreak 

on top of the current pandemic situation 

would be devastating. 

Wearing masks can be uncomfortable, 

stifling and sore, but they are an absolute 

necessity at the current time. And if 

you’re a frontline colleague working in a 

COVID-19 positive area, masks are your 

lifeline, protecting you from inhaling the 

particles that are airborne around you. 

Some things you need to know: 

• The masks filter the air you breathe, 

keeping you safe. But in doing so, 

they also become host to the infected 

particles. So it’s vital you remove them 

properly and dispose of them, never 

drop them around your neck or pop 

them in your pocket to reuse later. 

They are a biohazard once worn. 

• Masks come in all shapes and sizes, 

and they have to be fit tested to you 

to be certain they are working. 

This means you must not wear 

Sandwell and 


NHS Trust 

MEDIUM 

RISK 

Please ensure you wear 

the correct PPE in this area. 

Lack of adherence to PPE may lead to high risk of cross transmission. 

If no direct patient contact wear a fluid resistant surgical face mask 

FFP3/silicone 

mask for direct 

patient care 

Disposable gloves 

(only required for contact with 

patient or immediate environment) 

Remove gloves in between 

patients and wash your 

hands. Do not wear 

gloves on nursing stations 

or whilst working on 

computers. 

Hand washing 

Eye protection 

(sessional use) 

Disposable 

apron 

(for personal care/ 

examining patient) 

Remember to practice hand hygiene on entry to this area and between seeing patients and conducting tasks. 

whatever is available; you must 

wear what you are fitted for. 

Remember the make and model 

of your fit, and if you have 

forgotten, call infection control to 

be reminded. 

• Whilst we all breach social distancing 

momentarily as we pass by in 

corridors or cramped spaces we 

work in, this in no way means that 

we should become lax in our 

distancing. It only takes one person 

to have COVID-19 for an infection 

to spread. 

• Donning and doffing areas should 

be marked on wards. These are the 

spaces set aside to safely put your 

PPE on, and safely remove your PPE. 

COVID-19_MEDIUMINFECTION_MS6251 

Please ensure you wear the correct PPE in 

this area. Within red areas, staff will wear 

different PPE depending on the type of 

contact they have with patients. 

COVID-19 suspected or confirmed or not been screened for symptoms. 

FFP3/silicone mask for 

direct patient care 

Disposable apron (for 

personal care/examining 

patient) 

Hand washing 

Eye protection 

(sessional use) 

Sandwell and 


HIGH 

INFECTION 

RISK AREA 

If no direct patient contact wear a fluid resistant surgical face mask 

Disposable gloves (only required 

for contact with patient or immediate 

environment) 

Remove disposable gloves in between patients 

and wash your hands. Do not wear gloves 

on nursing stations or whilst working on 

computers. 

Remember to practice hand hygiene on entry to this area and between seeing patients and conducting tasks. 

Please pay close attention to the 

order in which you put your PPE 

on and remove it. Posters are 

available for further guidance. 

NHS Trust 

For close care of COVID-19 patients where rapid deterioration is likely 

and for single use AGP wear single use gown with full sleeves. Please 

remove the gown after the task is completed. 

• If you are in a communal area, 

corridor or coffee shop, remember 

to wear a fluid-resistant surgical 

face mask. These are readily 

available in the entrances to each 

of our buildings and in most 

departments. Please remember to 

change your mask for a fresh FRSM 

if you are coming from COVID 

positive areas. 

For more information on the Do’s 

and Don’ts of PPE and how to protect 

yourself, contact the infection control 

team on 0121 507 5900. 

COVID-19_HIGHINFECTION_MS6163 

8

Midland Met build continues on track 

despite COVID-19 

CORPORATE AND GENERAL 

NEWS 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Midland Met continues to make positive progress as we head towards our grand 

opening in 2022 

Whilst COVID-19 and the ensuing 

pandemic has brought industries 

across the world to a crashing halt, our 

flagship hospital continues steadily on 

its journey to completion in 2022. As 

we finally begin to regain some control 

of our lives, we look forward to the 

collaborative acute care models we're 

set to see in Midland Met. 

With multiple trades on-site at any one 

time, all vying to play their part and 

complete the long-awaited hospital, it has 

been no mean feat to keep COVID-19 

at the door, and the build continuing its 

progression. 

Thankfully, when you have an army of 

tradestaff on hand who can build you a 

world class facility, it doesn’t take much to 

create the facilities to help colleagues’ social 

distance and sanitise. 

We’ve been working on the build now for 

several months, and you can start to see the 

difference. Slowly but surely, the hospital is 

taking shape. Partitions are going in, areas 

are getting ready to be signed off on, and 

you can envisage what it will look like. 

Keeping everything moving has been 

at the top of our priorities and, we’re 

mindful of COVID-19 too. We have taken 

measures to keep the site safe, including 

dedicated areas for people to wash their 

hands and of course, following social 

distancing guidelines. We’ve also given 

snoods to Balfour Beatty staff which are 

not only warm when working outside but 

practical too helping to reduce the risk of 

transmission. 

Once complete in 2022, our acute hospital 

will offer maternity, children and inpatient 

adult services to half a million people, and, 

as we take small but significant steps towards 

opening our new hospital, we will keep you 

updated along the way. We'll bring you the 

latest news, sneak peeks behind the scenes, 

plus lots more so that when the time comes, 

you are ready to move to Midland Met. 

So what have we achieved in the past 

12 months? Since 6 January 2020, when 

construction began, Balfour Beatty have 

worked hard to make our vision a reality. 

Spring 2021 is when we expect to see the 

power go on, another milestone as we move 

closer to our grand opening. This means 

we can start to progressively see permanent 

lighting be switched on as we head into the 

summer months. 

In practical terms, we have also made progress 

in what will be our clinical areas. Partitioning 

in the clinical areas is almost complete, and 

ductwork installation to the first zones on 

levels two and three are nearing completion. 

Rachel Barlow, Director of System 

Transformation, commented: “The Midland 

Metropolitan University Hospital project is, as 

you can imagine, made up of many people, 

teams and stakeholders. Once open it will 

have a far-reaching impact - not only on those 

we care for but also for colleagues and our 

community in terms of regeneration, jobs, 

housing, our charitable endeavours, transport 

and so much more. 

“I feel privileged to be a part of this project. 

Seeing our hospital being built from the 

ground up is an honour, and I am looking 

forward to when we can officially welcome 

colleagues into their new home. It will 

significantly advance what we do and how 

we do it. We will have access to the latest 

technology, and colleagues can focus on 

delivering the best possible clinical outcomes 

and an overall enhanced patient experience.” 

In 2020 at Midland Met: 

• We began working on the 

plasterboard wall construction in 

the clinical areas 

• We made significant progress on 

the air system ductwork 

installation to the clinical areas 

• We had enough deliveries of 

construction supplies to create a 

13 mile tailback 

• Enough vertical plasterboard wall 

materials was installed to stretch 

from Birmingham to Glasgow – 

more than 400km 

• We racked up 11,000 hours 

moving construction workers and 

goods up and down the 

building 

• Installed 61km of electrical cable 

trays and conduit (used to 

protect and route electrical wiring 

in a building) 

• We employed 185 local people 

and inducted over 1500 people to 

work onsite 

• Completed 5,100 quality 

workmanship checklists. 

This is just the beginning… 

#morethanahospital 

Balfour Beatty colleagues were gifted 

snoods to wear onsite. 

9

Shaping the future of 

our estate with Engie 


NEWS 

Engie is a leading service, business 

energy and regeneration company. 

As you may be aware, they are 

also our new estates facilities 

management provider from the 5 

April for our current hospitals and 

the Midland Metropolitan University 

Hospital. 

In early 2019, Engie successfully bid and 

secured the contract to become our 

exclusive estate management provider 

for the next eleven years and will play a 

critical role in our move to Midland Met 

in 2022. Boasting a workforce of 17,000 

people and managing over 25million m² 

of space, Engie currently works with 35 

other healthcare sites and have 15 local 

authority partnerships, so it's safe to say 

we'll be working alongside an experienced 

service provider, helping to make the 

management of our estate activity as it 

changes more streamlined and dynamic. 

But what will this change mean in reality 

for our organisation? Well, for starters you 

can expect to see Engie working closely 

with SWB, and colleagues in our Trust 

to not only look after our estate but to 

innovate, collaborate and actively seek 

ways to improve our working environment. 

From 5 April 2021, the team will be responsible 

for looking after estates facilities management, 

reactive maintenance, programmed planned 

maintenance, lifecycle works, small works and 

some capital works. 

Many of our current estates colleagues will be 

joining the ENGIE team so we are lucky we will 

still be working with staff we know and who 

know our estate and services. ENGIE are also 

currently working at Midland Met alongside 

Balfour Beatty, our construction partners getting 

to know the behind the scenes infrastructure 

before it is closed behind walls and above 

ceilings. This insight is a significant benefit to 

managing the new real estate in the future. 

So how do Engie ensure that innovation 

remains at the heart of their business model? 

They keep it simple and keep an eye on 

developing new ideas and managing their 

impact on the environment. 

Engie’s unwavering commitment to the 

environment is clear to see - they actively 

support organisations to reach a zero carbon 

footprint. They will support this ambition by: 

• Reducing energy consumption 

• Greening supply through investment 

in de-carbonised and decentralised 

infrastructure 

• Enabling progress through innovative 

technology, data and partnerships 

• Reconciling economic performance 

with a positive impact on people and 

the planet. 

Rachel Barlow, Director of System 

Transformation, remarked: “We have been 

working closely with Engie to ensure the 

transition to using their service is as smooth 

as it can be. Over the coming weeks, we 

will be working with colleagues, holding 

engagement workshops and sharing what 

will be changing and how users can access 

the services they provide.’’ 

“We’ve all been working hard behind the 

scenes to move to Engie and, one of the 

things I am particularly excited about is 

their focus on sustainability and innovation. 

Being a forward-thinking organisation 

looking at how we can operate as carbon 

neutral as possible will stand us in good 

stead for the future. Plus, Engie works with 

over 30 hospitals across the NHS, so they 

are sharing that wealth of experience with 

us to impact positively on the work we do 

onsite and in our communities.” 

Richard Samuda, our Chairman, 

previously remarked: “This is a key long 

term relationship for us, with a shared 

commitment to local procurement, local 

employment and the living wage.” 

Signing up to a better patient 

experience 

A project to improve signage across all 

Trust sites leading to a better patient 

experience is now complete. 

Led by Victoria Williams from the patient 

access team, it ensures signage and 

directions in patient letters and texts now 

matches what they see when they visit 

our sites. The patient access team worked 

alongside estates and the improvement 

team on the project. 

Explaining the need for the improvements, 

Victoria said: “We wanted to ensure that 

the patient journey was seamless and easy 

as possible right from the start. We found 

that although we were signposting patients 

to particular areas, this didn’t match what 

they were seeing when they were on site. 

"Patients would complain about being lost, 

and this would lead to them being late for 

their appointments. Many would have to 

stop staff for directions. The point of the 

project was to alleviate this and improve the 

patient experience from the moment they 

arrived on site.” 

The 12-month project started with Victoria 

alongside colleagues from estates and the 

improvement team walking around each 

site to check signage and directions to flag 

up any initial problems. 

Colleagues from across the Trust were 

asked to voice any issues they had spotted. 

Victoria added: “We had good engagement 

from colleagues about areas where signage 

needed to be improved. 

“We were able to act upon this information 

and change signs. It’s undoubtedly had a 

positive effect, and we are also hoping that 

it will mean that patients are more likely 

to attend appointments on time with the 

improved information on directions.” 

New signage outside BMEC 

10

Enabling our partners to 

embrace a greener, 

more efficient and 

increasingly digital world. 

ENGIE is committed to making zero carbon happen 

for businesses and communities throughout 

the UK & Ireland – accelerating the transition 

towards a net zero carbon world. 

We make this possible by reducing energy consumption and 

driving efficiency, greening supply and enabling progress 

through innovative technology, data & partnerships. 

We are also shaping the future of responsible business 

by reconciling economic performance with a positive 

impact on people and the planet. 

11

Alcoholic mum at the ‘brink of death’ 

urges people to seek help for addiction 


NEWS 

A recovering alcoholic who was on 

the brink of death because of her 

addiction has urged people to seek 

help if they need it. 

Teresa Allen’s life spiralled out of control 

after she lost her job, leading her to sink 

a litre bottle of whisky a day. 

Her problems with alcohol abuse first 

began when she found herself drinking 

heavily at the weekend to cope with 

the pressures of work. Teresa's weight 

plummeted from 22 stone to a mere 

seven stone, and she lost her job. But 

her addiction soon took its toll on her 

body and, she began coughing up 

blood. 

When she was finally admitted to City 

Hospital, to seek help for her addiction, 

doctors delivered the bad news – her 

organs were shutting down and, it was 

doubtful that she would survive. 

But thanks to the help of our awardwinning 

alcohol care team and the 

drug and alcohol service, Change Grow 

Live (CGL), she is now on the road 

to recovery and later this month will 

celebrate her first year of going teetotal. 

Speaking during Dry January, a campaign 

to encourage people to stop drinking for 

the entire month, Teresa said: “I made 

a mistake with my drinking, but I am 

grateful that I am here now and able to 

tell my story. 

“I feel horrible when I think back to the 

worst times. I can’t go down the alcohol 

aisle in a supermarket as it makes 

me feel sick and watching TV adverts 

reminds me of the pain and suffering I 

went through. 

“I still have health problems as a result 

of the years of abuse, but I am in an 

amazing place now. I am coming up to 

my first year anniversary of being dry 

and, I want to make sure that I never go 

back.” 

Teresa’s problems first began when she 

would turn to alcohol after a hard day 

at work. “It started with a glass or two 

of wine or cider,” she recalled. “As 

work pressures began building, I began 

drinking more at night and at weekends. 

“About two years ago, it started getting 

out of hand after the breakdown of a 

relationship. I was working lots and, 

to cope with everything I would drink 

a one-litre bottle of whisky over a 

Teresa pictured before seeking help 

weekend. I realised that I had a problem and, 

with the help of my doctor, I managed to stop 

for three months.” 

But Teresa used a family argument as an 

excuse to turn back to the alcohol and, the 

row triggered her drinking again. 

“I started secretly back on the whisky which 

I was drinking during the evening and, 

my world fell apart,” she added. “I was 

suspended, and when I lost my job, I started 

having a bottle of whisky a day. 

“People around me could see I was spiralling 

out of control. I started vomiting blood and 

was admitted to the hospital. I had a feeding 

tube inserted as I wasn’t eating enough. I’d 

lost so much weight, yet my stomach looked 

like I was carrying twins because of the 

alcohol. 

“I was referred to CGL, and that then led to 

me getting on the detox programme with the 

alcohol care team at City Hospital. 

“On 20 January I went into detox, it was then 

I realised what sort of state my body was in. I 

was on the brink of death - my organs were 

shutting down. I was told that I was dying 

because of the extent of the cirrhosis. 

“As I started on detox and the medication, 

as well as eating better, a miracle started to 

happen. I was recovering and was discharged 

from hospital just over a month later. Since 

then, I have had tremendous support from 

the alcohol team and CGL. It has continued 

Teresa as she looks now 

throughout lockdown. Now I believe I am 

worth something.” 

So what advice does Teresa have for anyone 

else who may be going through a similar 

experience to her? “If anyone thinks they 

have a problem with alcohol should go 

to their GP to start the process. I’m not 

currently working, but I am building up my 

strength to get fit and well, so I can return 

to employment. I’m also completing various 

online courses to help with this. 

“For now I’m enjoying the precious time I 

have with my family. They can see how far 

I have come and have been so supportive 

throughout.” 

Roxanne Mahroof, Alcohol Care Team 

Nurse, said: “Teresa has done brilliantly. 

From the beginning, she was honest 

and open about her drinking. She 

acknowledged she was becoming physically 

unwell and had the courage to make the 

necessary changes. It was clear that Teresa 

was willing to do whatever was advised by 

the professionals to become abstinent and 

live her life in healthy sobriety. 

“During these uncertain times, people 

are struggling. The alcohol care team has 

noticed there has been an increase in 

drinking amongst people. Her story carries 

hope to others struggling with alcohol 

misuse; that you can make changes to your 

life despite what’s going on in your world.” 

12

Alcohol team rise to the challenge to 

raise cash for special device 

The alcohol team’s fundraising 

campaign kicked off in January with 

members of the service committing to 

challenges throughout the month to 

raise money for a FibroScan clinic van. 

The ultrasound device, which measures 

the degree of inflammation in the liver, will 

be used by the team during portable clinic 

sessions in the community. They will be able 

to scan members of the local community, 

those attending events, and it will allow 

them to visit organisations to offer harm 

reduction advice. The FibroScan is a simple, 

painless test that uses high-frequency sound 

waves. 

Challenges to raise the cash to fund the 

equipment included taking part in Dry 

January - a campaign which involves giving 

up alcohol for the month, whilst others 

committed to walking or running a certain 

amount of miles throughout the four 

weeks. 

Members of the alcohol care team who are 

taking part in various challenges to raise 

money for a FibroScan clinic van 

Sam Morgan, Alcohol Specialist Nurse, said: 

“We all wanted to commit to something 

challenging so that we can raise these 

funds. I’ve started a lifestyle challenge to 

benefit my physical and mental health. 

“We invited colleagues to join the Dry 

January challenge and had a lot of interest. 


NEWS 

Throughout the month, we also offered 

support sessions to staff who felt they 

needed help.” 

During January Arlene Copland, Lead 

Alcohol Nurse and Jo Page, Lead 

Administer and Medical Secretary walked 

250 miles each, whilst Roxy Mahroof, 

Alcohol Nurse and Matt Hinton, Alcohol 

Practitioner both ran 5km a day. Carol 

Appleyard, Alcohol Specialist Nurse and 

Pete Marple, Alcohol Practitioner both 

committed to Dry January too. 

The team are continuing to fundraise 

for the van until they hit their target. 

To sponsor them head over to Just 

Giving and search for Dry January 21 @ 

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS 

Trust. 

An Apple (watch) a day keeps the 

doctor away! 

This month we have an exciting 

competition to help get 2021 off to a 

more positive start. If you’ve decided to 

focus on your health and wellbeing in 

2021, we have just the thing for you. 

We have an Apple watch up for grabs 

(courtesy of Personal Group) which could 

really help to boost your fitness regime. 

It measures all the ways you move, gives 

you meaningful health insights, and a 

connection to the people and things you 

care about most. 

To be in with a chance of winning, all you 

need to do is answer these six questions 

generated from stories featured in this 

edition of Heartbeat and email your 

answers to swbh.comms@nhs.net. The 

closing date is Friday, 26 February. Good 

luck! 

Q1 How many km of conduit was 

installed at Midland Met in 

2020? 

Q2 Sharing his thoughts on the 

vaccine, who said: “This is a 

massive step forward in the 

battle against the 

Coronavirus, the Pfizer/ 

BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 

which we will be 

administering has shown to 

offer up to 95 per cent 

efficacy?” 

Q3 How much weight did Heidi 

Ferrier-Hixon lose? 

Q4 I am X stickers are being 

introduced in ward areas. Tell 

us the missing word. 

Q5 From September 2020, the 

infant feeding team received 

what percentage of positive 

feedback from new mums – 

75 per cent, 82 per cent or 100 

per cent? 

Q6 Name the two community 

locations where relaxation 

rooms can now be found? 

13

Celebrating our 

stars of the week 

Star of the Week 

Jacqueline Clarke and Davinia George, Your Health Partnership 


Jayne Redfern, Service Manager 

Congratulations are in order for 

Jacqueline Clarke and Davinia George 

from Your Health Partnership. 

Both Jacqueline and Davinia rapidly set 

up the successful delivery of COVID-19 

vaccinations for the over 80s within the 

local community. They have both worked 

incredibly hard, attending work on rest 

days to ensure the team were in a position 

to administer the vaccines rapidly and 

safely. This has been a mammoth effort 

undertaken at very short notice and with 

constantly changing information. They 

considered all aspects of the patient journey, 

ensuring patients were cared for holistically. 

They worked with the local community 

and other services within the Trust 

demonstrating and embracing integrated 

care and successfully administering over 900 

vaccines across just 3.5 days. 

In addition to the logistical and clinical work, 

they have constantly supported colleagues, 

protecting their wellbeing. They have both 

gone above and beyond to support the local 

community, demonstrating each of the Trust 

promises and undertaking work which will 

positively impact patients and the wider 

community. 

Congratulations to Jayne Redfern, 

Service Manager. 

When her co-worker for running the 

medicine rota went on maternity leave, 

Jayne stepped in and has been working 

hard to ensure as many slots as possible are 

filled in the medical rota. 

Jayne’s resilience has been nothing but 

outstanding. Congratulations Jayne! 


Denise Fitzmaurice, 

Community Liaison Nurse 


James Chapman, Porter 

Way to go James Chapman, a Porter at 

Sandwell. 

James was nominated for his work being 

“chief swab collector” at Sandwell Hospital. 

He always has a smile on his face, greeting 

everyone he meets and being really friendly. 

In such a difficult time when people 

are stressed and generally down, he is 

guaranteed to make you feel better if you 

pass him in the corridor. 

James is an important member of portering 

and plays a vital role in boosting the morale 

within his team. 

Do you know someone in your team that has gone above and beyond 

the call of duty? Why not put them forward for Star of the Week by 

visiting Connect. 

Well done Denise Fitzmaurice, 

Community Liaison Nurse. 

Denise consistently does excellent work 

with patients who have complex social and 

health needs. She goes over and above 

her duties so that the patients receive the 

correct support after discharge. She liaises 

with external agencies to ensure a smooth 

transition from hospital into the community. 

Denise is always happy to help her 

colleagues with complex discharges, shares 

her expertise and utilises contacts in the 

community to achieve the best possible 

outcomes for patients. She supports some 

of our most vulnerable patients who leave 

our hospital sites. 

Denise always shows professionalism in her 

conduct and always treats her colleagues 

and patients with the upmost respect. 

14

Shout out has been a regular feature 

in Heartbeat and it is fantastic to see 

colleagues regularly taking the time to 

give positive feedback to each other. 

We regularly receive positive feedback from 

our patients too, and this month we wanted 

to share some of those heart-warming 

messages which have been sent via our 

website and social media platforms. 


NEWS 

To – Bimla Devi 

Bimla has helped me out so much since a 

colleague left our team. I can't thank you 

enough Bimla for all of your hard work and 

professionalism, we are so lucky to have 

you. Thank you. 

From – Lauren Weigh 

To – Masood Aga 

Fantastic help in tracking down a staff 

COVID-19 swab out of hours, and really 

supportive in a very stressful moment. 

From – Lauren Prior 

To – Jocelyn Echaluce 

Jocelyn went above and beyond for her 

patient on critical care enabling the 

neonatal team to create vital and precious 

memories for her patient's daughter on 

NNU. 

From –Rachel Tennant 

To – Sister Maureen 

Thank you for being the backbone of the 

community midwifery service. We would be 

well and truly lost without you. 

From – Mosheda Begum 

To – Lavinia Hines 

Lavinia called me after I completed 

my online stress assessment. I found it 

really helpful to speak with her; she 

was supportive, approachable and 

understanding and managed to develop 

a therapeutic relationship with me even 

though we didn't meet face to face. I think 

that she and the rest of the wellbeing 

team do an amazing job and I would 

urge anyone who needs that little bit of 

extra support, help or guidance to contact 

them. We all have mental health and we 

all deserve to achieve and maintain good 

mental health. Thank you to Lavinia and 

all her colleagues for providing such a 

valuable service. 

From – Becky Fox 

To – AMU A 

I would like to thank the team on AMU 

A for having me during my third year as 

a student nurse. I feel I have grown so 

much in confidence as well as expanding 

my clinical knowledge and skills. I have 

been made to feel part of the team, which 

is huge for us student nurses. Working in 

such as busy environment felt daunting at 

first but the team soon got me through 

that, and I quickly began to find myself 

enjoying coming to unit. I have had the 

pleasure of working with some amazing 

nurses whose knowledge astounds me. I 

thank you all for your nurturing and help, 

as I step into my new role as Band 5. 

From – Lauren Melhado-Yeomans 

To – Aaron Hyett 

Thank you Aaron for saving me from IT 

issues on several occasions. Each time fixing 

it first time and sorting everything out. 

Every time you are so helpful and very 

calm with all the issues virtual working is 

throwing at us all. Thank you! We would 

not be able to provide the care to the 

young children we work with without you 

and your IT colleagues. 

From – Beth Smith 

To – Ward Sister Becky and the paediatric 

casualty team 

I would like to thank the whole team 

for looking after my son Zaviyar when 

he was poorly. I can’t commend the staff 

enough. Every member of staff who came 

in contact with him took time out to make 

conversation with him. 

A& E is traumatic, more so for young 

children, especially with everyone wearing 

a mask. Thank you. 

From – Nazia Aziz 

To – Night domestics 

I am very proud of the night cleaning staff. 

I would highly recommend - you all have 

done a fantastic job throughout the night, 

especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cleaning very immaculately. 

From – Pauline Williams 

To – Bereavement Care Volunteers 

We would like to say a big thank you to 

our lovely volunteers. Val, Jeremy, Rehana 

and Victoria for giving their time to the 

bereavement service. They have made a 

huge difference to families by making 

befriending telephone calls and offering 

their support during this very difficult time. 

You are all truly amazing people and we 

are lucky to have you. 

From – Angela Jones 

To – Theatre reservists 

Our theatre staff who are reservists have 

risen to the challenge of working in 

ITU and supporting our sickest patients, 

and they have moved to ITU in a calm 

and professional manner. The theatre 

triumvirate are immensely proud of them. 

Thank you to all of our reservists! 

From – Amber Markham 

To – Gemma Botfield 

Gemma was extremely supportive this 

week and gave me some sound advice and 

support in my role as a school health nurse. 

Thanks for your help and advice Gemma, it 

was greatly appreciated. 

From – Laura Johnson 

To – Laura Johnson 

I would like to appreciate my colleagues 

on Lyndon 5. You have shown exceptional 

resilience despite all the challenges that 

came your way. You all worked together 

and cared for the most vulnerable since the 

ward became a COVID-19 ward. Keep up 

the good work. 

From – Alice Kimani 

To – Kalavatiben Sunnia 

A huge thank you to Kal, community 

children's dietetic assistant based at 

Victoria Health Centre. She is such a hard 

worker and nothing is ever too much 

trouble for her. Thank you for all that you 

do, we really appreciate it 

From – Rebecca Anderson 

15

COVID-19: 

Celebrating the success of vaccination 

Alicia Parker - Lead Professional 

Development Nurse 

Whilst we are not over the worst of the 

virus by any stretch of the imagination, we 

are finally moving into a position where 

we are able to take control. Thanks to the 

hard work of the international scientific 

community, the task of developing a viable 

vaccination has been met in a record time, 

giving us the first real opportunity to begin 

proactively protecting ourselves. 

To date, our guidance has been to social 

distance, wash your hands and limit 

contact and in the short term, this remains. 

But with the roll out of the vaccine, we 

now stand a good chance of reaching our 

ultimate goal of achieving herd immunity 

– a position at which COVID-19 is unable 

to infect enough people to become a 

problem. 

Herd immunity does however mean that 

we need everyone, not only colleagues in 

clinical settings but those who are working 

Lisa Tyler - Nurse 

After the chaos and confusion of the last 12 months, with 

endless rule changes and lockdowns we are finally seeing 

the light at the end of the tunnel with the successful launch 

of the vaccination hubs at Sandwell and City Hospitals and 

Whiteheath Medical Centre. 

in operational roles, those that are isolating 

or redeployed to come forward, roll up 

their sleeves and join the thousands who 

have already received the life saving jab. 

Whilst the discomfort of a needle lasts a 

moment, the damage that can be done 

by COVID-19 once it begins to take over 

your lungs is devastating. The effect of 

COVID-19 is clear to see, not only through 

the stories of broken families that are 

often broadcast, but simply by seeing the 

numbers of people who are unnecessarily 

dying in hospital beds across the country, 

isolated from their loved ones and unable 

to communicate in their final days. 

Whilst we can say the vaccine has been 

long awaited, we unfortunately also have 

to accept that there has been a lot of 

misinformation and misunderstanding 

about the vaccine which has led to 

colleagues, patients and the public hesitant 

to being vaccinated or even declining 

the vaccination. Fuelled by mistrust 

in pharmaceutical companies and the 

incredible speed at which the vaccination 

has been developed, tested, trialled 

and deployed, rumours have been rife. 

However, one fact remains, rarely in history 

has the scientific community come together 

en-masse with the technology we have 

now to work together to develop a cure for 

a shared adversary. 

Trials which would normally take months 

and years have been able to be completed 

in lightning speed, not through cutting 

corners, but by an international drive 

to recruit volunteers to tackle a global 

pandemic. Checks and approvals by 

regulatory authorities have remained in 

place, stringent as ever, ensuring that not 

a single vial of vaccine reaches the public 

without the right checks in place. 

Sharing his thoughts on the vaccine, 

Chief Pharmacist, Puneet Sharma said: 

“This is a massive step forward in the 

battle against the Coronavirus, the Pfizer/ 

BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine which we will 

be administering has shown to offer up to 

95 per cent efficacy and has been given 

regulatory approval by the Medicines and 

Healthcare Regulatory Agency.” 

Many people rightly question the safety 

of the vaccination; however, the NHS 

would not offer any kind of COVID-19 

vaccinations to the public until experts 

had signed off that it is safe to do so. 

The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory 

Agency (MHRA), the official UK regulator, 

have said this vaccine is very safe and 

highly effective, and we have full 

confidence in their expert judgement and 

processes. As with any medicine, vaccines 

are highly regulated products. There are 

checks at every stage in the development 

and manufacturing process, and continued 

monitoring once it has been authorised and 

is being used in the wider population.” 

Whilst we were approved for the vaccine 

before Christmas, we were able to begin 

delivering the first doses to our most 

vulnerable patients and over 80yr olds 

merely days later, allowing them to ring in 

the year knowing they had taken the first 

steps to protecting themselves. 

Though the process of delivering a 

vaccination is simple, completing a checklist 

and ensuring the patient understands the

process, there is an incredible amount of 

work involved in the logistics of getting 

everything in order before the needle 

meets skin. Dispensing in the region of 

400 vaccinations a day, the tenacious team 

of retirees who have returned to battle 

COVID, alongside medical students and 

overseen by our clinicians plan the delivery 

of every single drop of the precious vaccine, 

ensuring that those most at need, receive 

the protection of the vaccination as soon as 

possible. 

If you are yet to get your COVID-19 

vaccination you can book your by 

contacting the booking team on 0121 

507 4112 to book into an available slot. 

Lucille Hamilton, Senior Imaging Support 

Worker with Cath Price, Midwife 

Christopher Coleman - Porter 

Busting the myths of COVID-19 

Now I have had my vaccine do I still 

need to follow social distancing 

rules? 

Yes, you definitely should! Though you 

may be protected against the harmful 

effects of COVID-19 having had your 

vaccine you could still be a carrier and 

unknowingly pass it on to a member of 

your family, one of your friends or even 

a fellow co-worker so with this in mind 

please continue to wear a mask. 

I suffer with allergies, should I have 

the vaccine? 

People with history of a severe 

(anaphylactoid) allergy to any of the 

ingredients within the vaccine should 

not be vaccinated currently, nor should 

those with severe allergy to multiple 

drugs or where there is a history 

of anaphylaxis where the cause is 

unknown. If you are unsure of your risk, 

please contact occupational health for 

advice. 

Will the cost of the vaccine be 

deducted from my salary should I 

have it? 

No, the COVID-19 vaccination is only 

available through the NHS to eligible 

groups and it is a free vaccination. 

I had my flu jab this season; do I 

need to bother with the COVID 

vaccination? 

The flu vaccine does not protect you 

from COVID-19. As you are eligible for 

both vaccines you should have them 

both but please ensure you separate 

each vaccine by at least a week. 

I have COVID-19 currently, can I get 

the vaccine? 

People currently unwell and 

experiencing COVID-19 symptoms 

should self-isolate and should not 

receive the COVID-19 vaccine until they 

have recovered. The guidance is that 

this should be done 28 days after a 

positive PCR swab or from development 

of COVID symptoms to avoid mistaking 

any COVID related symptoms with 

adverse effects of vaccination or vice 

versa and to be confident that you are 

well enough. 

I’m pregnant, should I have the 

vaccine? 

The MHRA have updated their guidance 

to say that pregnant women and those 

who are breastfeeding can have the 

vaccine but should discuss it with a 

clinician to ensure that the benefits 

outweigh any potential risks. 

I am vegan; can I still have the 

vaccine? 

There is no material of foetal or animal 

origin in either vaccine. All ingredients 

are published in healthcare information 

on the MHRA’s website. 

For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine 

information is available here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/ 

publications/regulatory-approval-ofpfizer-biontechvaccine-for-covid-19 

For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 

information is available here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/ 

publications/regulatory-approval-ofcovid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca 

The COVID-19 vaccine does not 

contain pork 

You should not refuse the COVID-19 

vaccination due to personal or 

religious beliefs associated with pork 

as the COVID-19 vaccination does not 

contain pork or any porcine products. 

Furthermore, the Pfizer BioNTech 

COVID-19 vaccine does not contain any 

components of animal origin. 

Are there lots of side effects of the 

vaccine? 

For these vaccines, like lots of others, 

they have identified that some people 

might feel slightly unwell, but they 

report that no significant side effects 

have been observed in the tens of 

thousands of people involved in trials. 

All patients will be provided with 

information on the vaccine they have 

received, how to look out for any side 

effects, and what to do if they do occur, 

including reporting them to the MHRA. 

More information on possible side 

effects can be found at https://www. 

nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirusvaccine/ 

Is the vaccine actually safe? 

Yes. The MHRA, the official UK 

regulator authorising licensed use of 

medicines and vaccines by healthcare 

professionals, has reviewed these 

vaccines as safe and highly effective. As 

with any medicine, vaccines are highly 

regulated products. There are checks at 

every stage in the testing, development 

and manufacturing process, and 

continued monitoring once it has been 

authorised and is being used in the 

wider population.

The only way is ethics 


NEWS 

As astonishing as it is to say - let 

alone write - we are approaching 

one year since we in our 

organisation (and the wider NHS) 

took our first actions in response 

to the Coronavirus pandemic. A 

situation which dominated 2020 and 

seems set to leave an indelible mark 

on 2021 as well. 

With such a difficult task behind, as 

well as in front of us, it is important 

that those of us medically trained 

maintain our standards for ourselves 

as well as the benefits of our patients, 

even when we are faced with difficult 

decisions. In March 2020, the Clinical 

Ethics Committee (CEC) was set up, led 

by Dr David Nicholl as chairman. The 

committee is there to assist with - but 

not replace - clinical decision making. 

It’s a sounding board of medical peers 

within the Trust if you will. 

“We realised at the beginning of the 

pandemic that we needed to set up 

a clinical ethics committee, which some, 

but not all hospitals have. It differs from a 

research ethics committee that will look at 

research trials. The clinical ethics committee 

reviews any controversial areas of clinical 

medicine where ethical issues arise, not 

just those concerning the pandemic. Areas 

that we have looked at recently related to 

treatment escalation pathways, resuscitation 

decisions and ethical issues about delaying the 

second COVID-19 vaccination in light of the 

worsening pandemic. We hope that we can 

provide support and education for all staff as 

ethical issues arise in their work.” 

If you wish to submit an ethical issue for 

discussion, please complete the ethics 

committee referral form which can be found 

on Connect. This should then be submitted to 

both swbh.clinical-ethics-group@nhs.net as 

well as david.nicholl@nhs.net. 

For any informal queries colleagues are 

welcome to discuss with their concerns with 

Dr Nicholl, or any member of the committee. 

All discussions will take place in a confidential 

manner although a copy of the submission 

with the CEC's outcome will subsequently 

be included within the patient’s record for 

transparency. You will be contacted for 

more information if required. 

For further information about the UK 

Clinical Ethics Committee Network, 

please visit http://www.ukcen.net/ 

Dr David Nicholl 

18

School nurse shares th-inspiring story 

of 10 stone weightloss 

For many of us, the New Year 

symbolises change and, for those 

of you lacking inspiration, the story 

of colleague Heidi Ferrier-Hixon’s 

incredible weight loss journey is 

enough to spring you into action. 

Heidi, who works as a school nurse team 

leader for Sandwell school nursing service, 

decided to lose a hefty ten stone after 

thinking she would die. 

“Simple things, like walking from my house 

to the car, would leave me gasping for 

breath,” explained the 45-year-old, who 

weighed 24 stone. 

“After climbing up the stairs, I’d be panting. 

I honestly thought I was going to die. I’m 

just 5ft 3in - I was morbidly obese and 

an asthmatic. I didn’t fancy my chances 

of having a long and healthy life. I was 

depressed.” 

Heidi also worried about visiting venues 

where she would have to sit down. “I 

would always go early to scope out the 

chairs to work out if I would be able to fit in 

them or if they were strong enough. I had 

weight issues all my life, and I guess I was in 

denial about my body. 

“In the end, something just clicked, and I 

realised I wouldn’t live long enough to see 

my son grow up. I knew that I had to do 

something about it and the only way to do 

this was by seeking support via my GP.” 

Heidi was referred to a specialist service – 

but first had to undergo therapy sessions to 

receive more support with her weightloss 

journey. “At first I was reluctant because 

of my frame of mind,” recalled Heidi. “But 

these sessions were what helped me to 

change my way of thinking and go on to 

lose the weight. I was able to look deeper 

at my relationship with food and at why I 

would overindulge. 

“My portion sizes were off the scale, and 

because I was raised to finish everything 

on my plate, I would do just that. I would 

also secretly binge on fast food in between 

my main meals. And I’d think nothing of 

heading over to the fridge and grabbing a 

snack whenever I arrived home from work. 

It was something that I had done from a 

young age. 

“My dietitian and therapy helped me to see 

all of this so clearly, and my journey to a 

healthier me began.” 


NEWS 

Heidi reduced her portion sizes, dishing 

up her main meals on a side plate. 

She also turned vegan, which cut out 

processed meat immediately from her 

diet. 

“By acknowledging all of the above, I 

was able to break the cycle. I started 

having just three meals a day, with 

healthy snacks in between. I scrutinised 

food labelling before I brought anything, 

so I knew what I was putting in my 

body.” 

Her dedication paid off, and now Heidi 

is a much healthier weight and doesn’t 

gasp for breath after walking just a few 

yards. “I feel amazing and physically fit. 

I go out running, which I wouldn’t have 

dreamed of doing before. 

“I would encourage anyone who’s 

reading this and relates to my 

experience, to go and see their GP. Ask 

for the help and support because it is 

out there. I did, and it’s changed my life 

for the better.” 

Before and after: These pictures show Heidi’s amazing transformation 

19

Neurology referral assessment 

service heads online 

MEDICINE AND EMERGENCY 

CARE 

The ongoing pandemic has placed 

restrictions on our services like we’ve 

never known before; but what it has 

brought about is an abundance of 

collaboration, new thinking, kindness 

and innovation. 

One such team that has faced the 

difficulties head-on presented by COVID-19 

is our neurology team. We caught up 

with Andy Wilkinson, Directorate General 

Manager – Admitted Care B who told us 

more. 

“Following the restart of elective neurology 

services after the first wave of COVID-19, 

the neurology team wanted to use the 

opportunity of the service restarting to 

simplify and improve patient pathways. The 

one thing the pandemic has taught us to do 

is think differently. 

“The initial implementation of the 

neurology referral assessment service was 

led by Dr Nicholl, Specialty Lead and I, with 

the support of the patient access team. 

What this means in a practical sense is 

that any neurology outpatient referrals are 

Andy Wilkinson, Directorate General 

Manager – Admitted Care B 

done via a referral form which is available on 

Connect. This updated process has been in 

place since the start of the pandemic, and 

we’ve seen a good uptake among colleagues 

using this form. 

“This new referral service has drastically 

improved the specialties waiting list 

management and improved the booking 

processes as triage is prompt. For patients, 

the pathway is improved too. They are better 

supported by their GPs in the community 

avoiding unnecessary trips to the hospital. 

“Patients also receive a more efficient 

pathway when referred to the hospital 

as required diagnostics can be identified 

and completed before their first 

appointment with a consultant. It 

means patients have a much greater 

chance of receiving treatment earlier 

and don’t require long waits for followup 

appointments. It also means we can 

hopefully empower and support our 

primary care colleagues in their clinical 

decision making.” 

Dr Nicholl added: “The implementation 

of the neurology referral assessment 

service has drastically improved the 

treatment pathways for both patients 

and clinicians and has allowed the 

service to fully recover after stepping 

down services during the first wave of 

COVID-19. 

“This approach means not only a better 

system for ensuring the patient is in 

the correct clinic but that we're also 

optimising the best and safest manner 

for the patient to have an appointment, 

e.g. via phone, video or face to face. 

As the situation we find ourselves in 

continues to evolve, so will we.” 

Your Trust Charity has a fantastic 

range of toys available for colleagues 

to purchase at a discounted rate 

Whilst all shops are closed 

during lockdown you will be able 

to shop and support Your Trust 

Charity. 

Payments will be online via 

PayPal and we can arrange 

a collection time from Trinity 

House. 

To purchase anything 

please email amanda. 

winwood@nhs.net or 

call on 0121 507 4847 for 

more information. 

20

Making mouth care matter 

Research shows that oral care is often 

lacking in hospital and community care 

settings, especially among patients 

who may need support with their 

personal care and rely on others for 

support; Mouth Care Matters seeks 

to address this. Twelve trusts built on 

the findings of a study conducted in 

2015 at East Surrey Hospital under 

the leadership of a special care dental 

consultant. From this pioneering work 

“Mouth Care Matters” was born. 

In early 2020, SWB launched their mouth 

care pilot based on the mouth care matters 

guidance. It aimed to improve the oral 

health of inpatients across four wards 

at City and Sandwell hospitals. The trial 

involved teams receiving specific training 

and equipment to carry out effective 

mouth care on patients. 

Julie Thompson, Director of Nursing, 

Medicine and Emergency Care told us: 

“Poor oral health of a hospitalised patient 

can lead to an increase in hospital-acquired 

infections, namely hospital and ventilator 

acquired pneumonia, as well as poorer 

nutrition.” 

Fast forward to 2021, and we can now 

reveal some of the standout highlights 

of the trial and what the team hope to 

do next. Heartbeat spoke to Ru Hazarika, 

Service Planning and Delivery Manager 

who told us: “We have seen some 

positive results on the back of the trial 

we conducted last year. Some of the key 

highlights include a 45 per cent reduction 

of hospital-acquired pneumonia on our 

pilot wards. We’ve also seen a 29 per cent 

reduction in antibiotic prescribing and a 34 

per cent reduction in Nystatin use. 

“Patient and staff feedback has been 

positive too. Patients’ mouth conditions 

have improved. In turn, it has helped 

with being able to eat and drink without 

pain and discomfort. Colleagues have 

undertaken oral assessments on admission, 

and every seven days by rating their oral 

health care as red, amber or green. This 

insight then informs staff on the necessary 

oral care needed based on their oral care 

rating. Staff also used specially designed 

oral care products and equipment that 

assist with effective and simple approaches 

to mouth care routines. What makes these 

products unique is that the toothpaste, 

mouth gel and cleaning swab/brush are all 

in one sterile, disposable kit.” 

So, how did the pilot continue when 

COVID-19 hit? Ru explained: “Fortunately, 

we were coming to the end of our trial 

at the time so there wasn’t a significant 

impact. There was also an upside to the 


CARE 

but a few. 

“The initiative is part of the weLearn 

poster competition, and we are now in 

the final ten. We’ve also presented our 

findings to the Learning from Deaths 

Committee and Pneumonia Taskforce. 

In September 2020, Health Education 

England asked us to present at the 

regional webinar forum for mouth care 

matters as an example of good practice 

in running a pilot.” 

Ru added: “I must say thank you to 

everyone involved in this project. It 

came about as a result of collaborative 

working across different areas including 

our GDON of Medicine, Julie Thompson, 

Mouth Care Matters display and survey on Janice Nelson, Clinical Procurement 

Priory 4 

Nurse Specialist, Stryker, our Mouth Care 

Matters Fellow from Health Education 

use of the products. Evidence shows that the England, Jaffer Ismail and Matrons, Sam 

24 hr kits which are designed to use with Walden and Jo Thomas. Colleagues 

suction equipment have a significant impact and ward managers on all four sites 

on preventing ventilated acquired pneumonia were enthusiastic and passionate about 

which is vital in our fight against COVID-19. the pilot, and the results were made 

possible all thanks to their willingness 

“Initially, we had some challenges 

to try something new and implement 

implementing the changes so soon after 

moving September to Unity. Working 2020, with Health clinical Education change.” 

support England asked us to present at the 

managers mouth in care IT, we matters are in the process as an of example being of good practice in running a pilot 

able to make some small and helpful changes 

that will lead to us effectively documenting 

September daily Ru oral added: health 2020, care “I 

Health 

must routines Education 

say in the thank future.” England 

you 

asked 

to everyone 

us to present 

involved 

at the regional 

in this 

webinar 

project. 

forum 

mouth care matters as an example of good practice in running a pilot.” 

The 

collaborative 

team will now be 

working 

submitting 

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speech and language therapists and our 

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21

Research paves the way for new 

anti-fibrotic therapy for glaucoma 

SURGICAL SERVICES 

Scientists at the University of 

Birmingham have shown that a 

novel low molecular weight dextransulphate, 

ILB ® could play a key role 

in treating open angle glaucoma 

(OAG), a neurodegenerative disease 

that affects over 70 million people 

worldwide and causes irreversible 

blindness. 

The research, reported in npj 

Regenerative Medicine, has shown that 

that ILB can normalise matrix deposition 

inside the eye and lower IOP in a preclinical 

model used to mimic these 

aspects of human glaucoma, paving the 

way for new anti-fibrotic therapies to be 

developed for the disease. 

OAG is a complex disease and it has 

proved difficult to develop effective 

therapeutics to target the biochemical 

pathways involved. Existing therapies 

mainly work by reducing fluid production 

in the eye, not the underlying causes, and 

even the newer therapies have shown 

limited success in the clinic. 

Mr Imran Masood 

The Birmingham scientists focussed on an 

inflammatory pathway that is common to 

several diseases, and involves Transforming 

Growth Factor β (TGFβ), a signalling 

molecule that communicates between cells 

and orchestrates both inflammation and 

fibrosis. TGFβ's role in OAG is well known, 

with patients demonstrating higher levels in 

their aqueous humour and laboratory studies 

showing that artificially increasing TGFβ 

within the eye can lead to fibrosis. 

The scientists found that ILB has multimodal 

actions across many genes that resolve 

inflammatory and fibrotic cellular processes. 

When they progressed their work into a 

pre-clinical experimental model of glaucoma, 

they found that daily subcutaneous injections 

of ILB significantly (p

Brexit deal or no deal – and the 

challenges for imaging 

IMAGING 

Jilly Croasdale, Head of Radiopharmacy Services 

With much of the Brexit-related talk in 

the media being focused on potential 

food shortages and whether the fish 

are happier as British fish, exit from the 

EU had the potential for other more far 

reaching implications, particularly in 

the absence of a deal. 

These included how our healthcare and 

medical needs can continue to be best 

served in the complex new relationship in 

which we find ourselves. In the four years 

since the 2016 referendum up to the 

announcement that UK and EU leaders 

had managed to come to a compromise 

meaning we would not have to face a 

‘no deal’ scenario, colleagues across our 

Trust had been hard at work developing 

contingency plans. 

One area that was quick to begin work 

on scoping out impact was our imaging 

team who were acutely aware that the EU 

withdrawal would also mean an exit from 

the European Atomic Energy Community. 

Jilly Croasdale, Head of Radiopharmacy 

Services gave Heartbeat an insight into 

how imaging has been preparing for 

Brexit and what the changes mean for our 

service. She told us: “The radiopharmacy 

community in the UK has been very involved 

in the negotiations throughout this process. 

When this started, I was Chair of the UK 

Radiopharmacy Group and sat on the British 

Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS) Council. 

It meant I was involved as one of the NHS 

stakeholders in Department of Health and 

Social Care (DHSC) meetings to develop 

contingency plans. I co-wrote the BNMS 

Guidance on how to manage Radiopharmacy 

and nuclear medicine services in the event 

of a no-deal Brexit with the Royal College 

of Radiologists and also liaised with other 

radiopharmacies and nuclear medicine 

departments across the West Midlands 

to assist in the development of their risk 

assessments and contingency plans. 

“A major impact of a no deal Brexit was the 

potential to disrupt how goods, including 

medicines, move in and out of the UK. During 

the years following the referendum, whilst a 

deal was being negotiated, the government 

worked closely with stakeholders in the UK to 

make contingency plans to limit the impact of 

any disruption at borders. These included 

the NHS and industry partners. 

“For medicines, decisions were made 

to stockpile where possible. However, 

our area was highlighted as having a 

particular problem because of their 

time-critical nature. These were the 

radioisotopes used in radiopharmacy 

and nuclear medicine. Since these 

materials are radioactive, and as such, 

are decaying away all the time, any 

delays have the potential for making 

them unusable. It would result in 

disruption and subsequent delays to 

patient appointments and, subsequently, 

diagnosis. Although many nuclear 

medicine patients are outpatients, the 

majority of them are cancer patients, 

or those suffering from cardiovascular 

problems. Delays to diagnosis and 

treatment can be serious. 

“Initially Brexit represented a significant 

clinical risk to the radiopharmacy and 

nuclear medicine service. A lot of 

planning and negotiation followed to 

mitigate these risks. It resulted in a move 

from road to air freight for all radioactive 

shipments into the UK. The reason 

for this is that, without a deal, the 

channel tunnel and the ‘short straights’ 

(for example, short channel crossings 

via Dover and Calais) could become 

congested and the risk of substantial 

delays was a real threat. In contrast, air 

freight is booked, planned and arranged 

in advance - it is a good solution. 

However, it has been challenging to 

arrange suitable flights. There have 

been some delays, it’s not ideal, but is 

manageable.” 

Thankfully we secured a deal with 

the EU, so we asked Jilly how this will 

positively impact our service. “Now a 

deal is agreed, most deliveries are being 

made as expected, albeit with the 24- 

hour delay for some things, which does 

have a financial impact. 

“However, although it has been an 

uncertain and worrying few years, it 

shows how the NHS, Government and 

industry can work together to overcome 

potential patient problems. Throughout 

this process, the seriousness with which 

the DHSC took the impact on our small 

specialty could not be faulted. So in the 

end, whatever your views on Brexit, this 

turned out to be a good news story.” 

23

Infant feeding team ‘MBRRACE’ 

change 

WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH 

Breastfeeding – it’s a skill, some 

people take naturally to it and 

others need a little guidance to 

help them get the hang of it. Our 

dedicated infant feeding team are on 

hand to help each new mum find a 

way to breastfeed that feels natural 

and comfortable for them should 

they wish to do so. 

Ensuring that we offer an inclusive 

service is something Louise Thompson, 

Infant Feeding Coordinator champions 

as we serve a diverse community. 

Speaking to Heartbeat, she explained: 

“Last summer we received a complaint 

from a mum and her doula, she did 

not feel she had been listened to and, 

this struck a chord with the team and 

I. Usually, we receive a lot of positive 

verbal feedback from mums, so this got 

us thinking could we have done more 

and are we offering effective ways for 

people to feedback to us? 

“We work to support the choices of the 

women we look after and never want 

anyone to feel we don’t listen to what 

they want. This particular complaint 

came from someone with BAME 

heritage, so we began looking at what 

additional support we could offer and if 

women would share any feedback, good 

or bad if they didn’t have additional support 

to help them do so. 

“The MBRRACE report shows we can all 

be doing more for women who are black, 

Asian or minority ethnic and so we set about 

trying to reach out and collect feedback 

from all the groups that we see rather than 

waiting for people to come to us. We used 

the friends and family test and shared it via 

Survey Monkey to collect real-time feedback 

monthly. We shared the survey with the mum 

who made the complaint to let her know 

we’d understood and listened to her concerns 

and this, in turn, had helped us to shape and 

monitor the care we provide.” 

So what has the feedback been like we asked 

Louise? She explained: “From September 

2020, we have received 100 per cent positive 

feedback from new mums and we are now 

looking at ways we store this more formally. 

The Trust is looking at some new software 

that will help us collate this feedback more 

effectively, plus we’re considering other ways 

we can engage with parents and improve our 

service 

“I’ve also been sharing the feedback across 

social media. We wanted to share some 

positivity and shine a spotlight on all that is 

good about breastfeeding. We have had some 

fantastic responses and from across all ethnic 

groups, age groups and abilities. It has helped 

all of us reflect on the care that we give and 

to be more mindful. Next on the agenda is 

looking at ways to collect feedback from 

mums who do not speak English. 

“Overall, I’m pleased that we now have a 

mechanism in place that allows mums to 

feedback comments in a safe, anonymous 

and convenient way. Plus, it’s a boost 

for all of us in the team to reflect on the 

work we do and see that we do make a 

difference. To any expectant mums out 

there, I would say we’re here to provide 

helpful information on infant feeding. If you 

have any feeding worries or concerns, we’re 

always here to help.” 

Mum’s the word! 

Check out this selection of the fabulous 

feedback we’ve received since we 

implemented our family and friends 

survey: 

“Very friendly and professional help - 

explained everything well and made 

me feel at ease.” 

“Carmen is a very friendly and warm lady 

that makes you feel very comfortable and 

is very understanding.” 

“Very informative and felt no pressure to 

keep breastfeeding baby.” 

“The midwife listened to the problem I 

was having and watched before giving 

advice and trying different methods to 

suit my needs.” 

“I was really struggling, and Kirsty gave 

me the support I needed to not give up.” 

Members of the infant feeding team 

24

A Christmas moment of hope 

from gynaecology 

WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH 

Deborah Slater, Regional Fundraising Officer of Black Country Women's Aid, Richard Samuda, 

Chairman, Ruth Wilkin, Director of Communications and colleagues from gynaecology 

“Oh my goodness, that is amazing!” 

For Deborah Slater, Regional Fundraising 

Officer of Black Country Women's Aid 

(BCWA) the trip to Sandwell Hospital just 

before Christmas was particularly exciting. 

One filled not with the spectre of COVID 

but with hope, kindness and generosity. 

A day masterminded by our gynaecology 

team. 

The BCWA is an independent charity which 

supports victims of abuse and violence in 

the West Midlands and has done for over 

30 years. Offering help and support that 

is so sadly needed and it's a cause the 

gynaecology team cares passionately about. 

Deborah visited the team to collect what 

had been collated by them in donations to 

help give those who needed it - mothers 

and their children especially - a proper 

Christmas under these trying circumstances. 

Heading in, Deborah had just made eye 

contact with one of the most incredible 

displays Heartbeat had ever seen. The 

room was half covered in toys, games, 

decorations, clothes, shoes and toiletries 

- almost like a miniature version of 

Mothercare. The clothes arched around 

the room on rails in front of tables with 

even more goodies. Only then did Deborah 

realise there was more behind her and, 

even behind colleagues who had come to 

see her. Wherever you looked, there was 

something else, something arranged by the 

fundraising of the gynae team. 

"Oh my goodness, that is amazing!" 

Not Deborah this time, but rather Trust 

Chairman, Richard Samuda who had also 

come along to speak with her. His response, 

unwittingly echoing Deborah's not two 

minutes before, both in awe at what they 

saw. 

“It was fantastic to see such dedication and 

excitement from the amazing gynaecology 

6A team.” Deborah later commented to 

Heartbeat. “I was overwhelmed to see such 

beautiful donations and so many of them, 

I know women and children in the refuge 

will just love these Christmas gifts, knowing 

others care and think about them helps in 

their recovery.” 

“We want to say a special thank you to 

Julie Hill, Tracey Law and Tiffany Jones for 

organising everything this year amidst the 

strange and stressful times we are all facing. I 

have worked with Jules for three years, what 

a lady, such passion about our work and drive 

to get loads of Christmas presents, clothes, 

chocolates, festive food, gift sets, hats scarves, 

gloves and baby items knitted with love. A 

massive thanks too to all the friends and 

family members for helping.” 

“It just goes to show what a difference our 

organisation can make,” said Richard after an 

animated discussion with Deborah where she 

Items donated by the gynaecology team 

explained some of the stories of people 

at the refuges and BCWA's previous 

work with the gynaecology team. “Not 

just here at the hospital but outside it, 

we can all make a real difference with 

efforts like these, with Your Trust Charity 

and other organisations like BCWA. 

This team, everyone in gynaecology, 

should be very proud of what they have 

achieved.” 

And they are, as the aforementioned, 

Julie Hill told Heartbeat after the 

handover. 

“We understand domestic abuse can 

be such a distressing and isolating 

experience for the individual and family. 

It may be considered as something of 

the past, especially now with women 

taking on more equal roles as men. 

However, this is far from the truth, 

with reports from last year showing 2.3 

million adults age 16-74 in England and 

Wales had experienced domestic abuse - 

the majority of them being women. We 

started this campaign back in September 

2020 to highlight the importance and 

seriousness of domestic abuse. 

“In gynaecology 6A with our combined 

passion for women's health and safety, 

our manager Tiffany Jones, supported us 

to carry out fundraising and collections 

to assist Black Country Women's Aid. 

Supporting this charity for us was 

an extension of our everyday role in 

supporting women, more so with the 

current situation which sees many 

women now stuck at home.” 

You can find more information about 

Black Country Women's Aid at 

www.blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk 

25

Relaxation rooms are open for 

PCCT colleagues 

PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES 

AND THERAPIES 

Community colleagues have been 

taking advantage of two wellbeing 

rooms based at the Lyng Health 

Centre and Rowley Regis Hospital. 

Both provide a quiet and a calm, relaxing 

environment and a safe space for those 

using it - plus support when they need 

it most. 

Those working within primary care, 

communities and therapies (PCCT) can 

access the rooms set up by the team 

behind the Sanctuary, based at the 

Learning Works. 

Denise Owen, PCCT Deputy Clinical 

Directorate Lead, explained more: 

“Following the offer of the Sanctuary, 

Denise Owen in the wellbeing room at the Lyng 

the iCares directorate wanted to help extend 

the wellbeing and kindness offer to benefit 

colleagues in local community bases. 

“We wanted to make sure it was easily 

accessible for them, which is why they are at 

Rowley and the Lyng. 

“Colleagues can recline and unwind on the 

large floor cushions, feel relaxed with the 

Himalayan Salt lamps soothing gentle glow 

and change the energy levels with the calming 

Dermatology wins prestigious 

national award 

The dermatology department has 

been receiving lots of praise after their 

award winning poster at the British 

Association of Dermatologists Meeting. 

The team were given the accolade for Best 

Psychodermatology Poster Presentation 

Award at the 2020 British Association of 

Dermatologists Meeting which is one of the 

most highly commendable meetings made 

up of authors from across the globe who 

submit their work every year. 

All the posters are original pieces of 

research with the best pieces put forward 

by a specialist abstract selection committee 

based on the quality of the content. 

These pieces are then also later published 

in the British Journal of Dermatologists 

Supplement. 

“We were inspired to create the poster 

following inspiration from our patients,” 

said Dr Sara Mirhadi, Study Principal 

Investigator. 

“Our patients have been telling us about 

the impact of skin disfigurement on their 

psychological wellbeing and how laser 

treatment has changed their lives. There 

is limited literature on the impact of laser 

therapy in psychological burden. 

“With this in mind we decided to lead 

this study and presented our results at 

the British Association of Dermatologists 

Meeting to highlight the psychological 

burden of skin conditions and the role of 

laser therapy in reducing this burden all in a 

conscious effort to help better improve the 

quality of life of patients.” 

In regards to participation, adult patients 

with various medical skin conditions, 

symptomatic skin lesions and cosmetic 

skin lesions took part in the study. These 

included red marks, brown marks, scars 

and hair removal. Common symptoms may 

include pain, discomfort, irritation or impact 

on breathing and daily activities including 

body movements. 

Sara’s study showed that the majority of 

patients were suffering from moderate 

or high psychological distress with laser 

treatment leading to a more than 50 per 

cent reduction in at least one of the anxiety 

or depression scores. The aim is that the 

study can help increase awareness of the 

psychological burden of various disfiguring 

skin conditions. 

Sara and the study investigators could not 

have completed this work alone and are 

thankful to all that helped them along. 

Sara was especially thankful to Dr Anthony 

Abdullah, the Study Chief Investigator, for 

his continued support in helping design and 

conduct of this study and all his guidance 

throughout the study. 

She added: “I would like to say a huge 

thank you to our patients for taking 

part in our study and the research and 

development team, especially Anne 

Rutland. 

lavender spray. They are also able to listen 

to music from their own devices and take 

some time out.” 

The rooms have wipeable floor cushions 

and pillows and LED candles, whilst those 

visiting receive free bottled water, lip balm, 

hand cream and soap. 

They have been open since October and, 

there are plans for them to remain in place 

until the end of March. The room at the 

Lyng is on the second floor, whilst the 

Rowley facility is situated in corridor B. 

PCCT colleagues should call 0121 612 3183 

to find out if either room is available before 

attending. There may be a short waiting 

time if you drop in without confirming 

availability. 

The Lyng room is available Monday 

to Friday, between 8am-6pm, whilst 

The Rowley wellbeing room is open 

Monday to Friday, between 8am-4pm. 

Dr Sara Mirhadi 

“I would also like to give a special thanks 

to the Birmingham Skin Laser Centre team 

especially Ann Weaver who went above 

and beyond for all her help and extend 

my gratitude to our sponsor and Research 

Ethics Committee.” 

Laser Hair Removal 

The laser department is renowned 

throughout the UK and the team have the 

capacity to treat private patients. 

A consultation and test area for laser hair 

removal is free of charge to NHS staff. 

NHS staff also receive 15 per cent discount 

off the price of each treatment session. 

For further information, please 

contact Ann on 0121 507 6639 or 

email: ann.weaver1@nhs.net. 

26

Discharge to Assess – a new way of 

delivering care 

A new model of care delivery known 

as Discharge to Assess (D2A) is being 

implemented across Sandwell. 

D2A has been a model of care used 

nationally for over five years. Locally this 

was first rolled out in March 2020 for our 

patients living in Birmingham and, this 

same model is now being used in Sandwell. 

“The model of care delivery primarily 

focuses on facilitating discharge for 

all inpatients on the day that they are 

medically optimised therefore reducing 

delays for patients who are ready to leave 

the hospital. This, in turn, reduces the risk 

of hospital-acquired deconditioning and 

other risks associated with a prolonged 

hospital stay,” said Sarah Oley, Directorate 

General Manager for iBeds. 

“It’s built around the home first principle, 

ensuring that as many people as possible 

can return to their own home by asking 

two simple but key questions, Why not 

home? Why not today?” 

“The discharge to assess model focuses on 

making sure that only essential assessments 

get completed before the person leaves 

acute care instead of completing these 

assessments in the home environment 

or onward community destination. 

Assessment in these environments is often 

more meaningful for the person and, 

allows them to return to a community 

setting rather than waiting for those 

assessments to take place on the hospital 

ward.” 

Members of the Discharge to Assess team 

COVID-19 has affected many services within 

the healthcare sector, and, D2A is no different. 

The pandemic has meant that it is now a 

nationally mandated model across the NHS as 

it helps to maintain patient flow and reduce 

the pressure on acute hospital beds. It also 

ensures that patients reach their chosen 

destination as soon as possible. 

The language of D2A centres on ‘pathways’ 

which will be the language that we will all 

need to adopt when discussing hospital 

discharge. Those pathways are as follows: 

Pathway 

number 

Definition 

0 A simple discharge, no additional support 

from health or social care is required 

(approximately 50 per cent of discharges) 

1 Person can return home, with support from 

health or social care (approximately 45 per 

cent of discharges) 

2 Person requires a temporary move to a 

community bed, this may be for rehab or 

further assessment (approximately 4 per 


3 Person requires a permanent move to a 24 

hour care environment (approximately 1 per 


4 Pathways for all people at the end of life 

PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES 

AND THERAPIES 

Other than the obvious benefits to our 

patients, there are many benefits of 

Discharge to Assess for our colleagues 

too. 

Sarah added: “Over time the process 

of discharging patients has become 

complex with multiple funding 

arrangements, different agencies 

involved and a variety of information 

required from the inpatient ward teams. 

Discharge to Assess simplifies this for 

staff. Their focus should now be on 

which pathway a patient needs, no 

matter the patient’s home address or GP 

details. 

“We also now have a team of experts 

from the Trust, our local authority and 

our CCG working seven days a week. 

They are on hand to support and 

expediting discharge arrangements for 

all patients on pathways one – four 

through our integrated discharge hub 

and can be contacted for all escalations 

or advice regarding discharge.” 

For more information or specific 

training for your team regarding 

Discharge to Assess please contact 

saraholey@nhs.net. 

To escalate any issues related 

to discharge, please contact the 

integrated discharge hub on 07815 

647936 (open seven days a week, 

from 8am to 5pm). 

Have you got a 


CARE 

We’d love to hear from you if you have… 

• An event or special occasion in your department 

• If you work with an inspirational colleague 

• Does your department do something that makes a 

real difference to our patients? 

Please get in touch if you’d like to be featured in an 

upcoming edition of Heartbeat! 

story? 

Email swbh.comms@nhs.net to submit your story idea. 

27

Pulse 

News in brief from around our organisation 

Children receiving the toys kindly donated to the nursery 

Key Construction gives back to 

nursery 

Christmas may have passed and, 2021 

is well underway, but the gifts keep on 

coming with the lucky recipients being our 

Sandwell nursery. 

Key Construction, the contractors building 

our GP surgery at Sandwell were kind 

enough to donate construction toys for 

the children based at our Sandwell nursery. 

Founded in 1994, Key Construction, a 

Midlands based contractor undertake 

a wide range of projects including new 

builds and refurbishments. As well as 

delivering projects for commercial and 

office use, Key Construction also have 

extensive experience in providing facilities 

for healthcare and education. The 

company has worked on many clinical 

If you have a story you would like to appear 

on the Pulse page, please email a photo and a 

short explanation to swbh.comms@nhs.net 

IMAGING 

build projects in recent years including 

Shirley, Netherfield, Brixworth, Great 

Barr and Essington Medical Centres and 

Khattak Memorial and Woodville Surgeries 

to name a handful. 

“Key Construction workers on the GP 

surgery building first noticed our children 

playing in the summer and wanted to gift 

something to the nursery,” said Emma 

Collier, Day Nursery Manager. “They 

decided to give building equipment with 

them being a construction company at 

heart and felt the toys would be fun for 

the children whilst educational too.” 

Toni Carr, Deputy Nursery Manager, is 

thankful for the toys and said: “I must say 

a huge thank you to Key Construction for 

going out of their way to give our children 

new toys to play with.” 

“There are many benefits of these kinds of 

toys such as they help our children become 

better at problem-solving and learning 

cause and effect and, it teaches them how 

to play with others through compromise, 

conflict resolution and sharing. 

“Also, these particular toys will help the 

children to nurture their creativity and 

imagination as well as discover their 

independence and improve their selfesteem 

all while having lots of fun and 

enjoyment.” 

28 

Congratulations Sobia – Black 

History Month Quiz winner! 

During Black History Month 2020, 

alongside the awareness campaign, we ran 

across at SWB, we also held a Black History 

Month Quiz to celebrate the occasion. 

The awareness campaign focused 

on honouring people of African and 

Caribbean descent who have and continue 

to shape the history of our country and 

that of the NHS. Black people make 

a rich contribution and an impact on 

our national and cultural life, enriching 

communities as business leaders, teachers, 

musicians, nurses, doctors and much 

more. 

Our quiz comprised of 12 questions 

and received numerous entries from 

colleagues. After successfully answering 

all the questions correctly, Sobia Ahmed, 

Ward Clerk at City Hospital, was picked 

randomly as our winner! 

Alongside her £30 of Love2Shop vouchers, 

the Black History Month book chosen by 

Sobia was White Teeth, written by Zadie 

Smith and published by Hamish Hamilton. 

The story focuses on the later lives of two 

wartime friends - Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal 

Sobia Ahmed 

and the Englishman Archie Jones and their 

families in London. The novel centres on 

Britain's relationships with people from 

formerly colonised countries in Africa, 

Asia, and the Caribbean. 

When asked about winning, Sobia said: 

“I am so happy to win the book and 

vouchers, I don’t win many things, so this 

is amazing!” 

Sobia is currently shielding due to her 

pregnancy and will embark on maternity 

leave later this year. Congratulations 

Sobia – we hope you enjoy your book and 

vouchers! 

28

Simon Sheppard 

Director of Operational Finance 

This month we say a warm welcome 

to Simon Sheppard who joins us as our 

Director of Operational Finance. We 

caught up with Simon to find out all 

about his career and how he’ll be shaping 

his new role amid a global pandemic. 

Speaking to Heartbeat, Simon said: “I joined 

the NHS over 25 years ago as the NHS 

Graduate Trainee within Finance at Queen’s 

Medical Centre in Nottingham. I have worked 

in the NHS my whole career across mainly 

provider organisations including, Nottingham 

University Hospitals, Sheffield Teaching 

Hospitals and University Hospitals of Leicester. 

I was the Director of Finance and Procurement 

at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust for 

six years in my last role.” 

So what attracted Simon to join the 

organisation we asked? He explained: “The 

Trust appealed to me for many reasons, 

including the reputation of providing 

quality patient services, it’s operational and 

financial performance, but most importantly 

the chance to support the organisation 

in completing the Midland Metropolitan 

University Hospital build and then the move 

into the new hospital. It is an exciting time for 

the organisation, staff and patients. 

Simon Sheppard 

Simon added: “The welcome I’ve received 

from everyone has been so warm and, it does 

make you feel like you’re part of a wider work 

family.” 

Having joined in the middle of a pandemic, 

Simon is aware that like other departments, 

finance has experienced some challenges but 

is impressed by the professionalism of the 

team. He remarked: “I think like many other 

directorates and departments, the pandemic 

has been a challenge for our area. Challenges 

have included resolving any barriers to 

working from home to the procurement and 

logistics team ensuring PPE was available to 

frontline colleagues in a timely manner. Since 

starting, I have been very impressed by the 

morale of the team. The professional manner 

they are delivering their services and how 

they are supporting frontline colleagues is 

admirable. They are a credit to the Trust.” 

Simon has wasted no time in getting to know 

teams and, looking at ways he can help to 

improve the services we provide. He told us: 

“One of the areas I am passionate about 

is engaging with clinical and operational 

colleagues to enable finance to support 

improvements in patient care. 

“A key aspect of this is the understanding 

of the NHS finance regime and removing 

any perceived blockers to implementing 

improvements. I have always believed if we 

work together, great ideas can be taken 

forward. Over the next few months, I am 

looking to roll out a programme of financial 

awareness to key colleagues across the Trust.” 

Outside of work, Simon is a family man with a 

keen interest in sport. “I’m married to Emma, 

a Specialist Paediatric Respiratory Nurse, and 

have two children, Ellie (17) and Sam (14). I 

am interested in most sports but particularly 

football and golf. I lived in the USA for three 

years as a child, also have a soft spot for 

American football.” 

Wave goodbye to… 

Bethan Downing 

Deputy Director of People and Organisation Development 

This month we wave goodbye to one of 

our longstanding colleagues as Bethan 

Downing moves on to begin a new 

chapter in her career. 

In December 2011, Bethan began joined 

SWB as a directorate-general manager 

(DGM) for theatres and anaesthetics and 

then became DGM for theatres, urology 

and vascular. Bethan has also worked as the 

deputy director of operations in medicine 

and emergency care and more recently 

as our deputy director of people and 

organisation development. 

Bethan will be returning to Birmingham 

Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where 

she spent nine years before joining SWB. 

She told Heartbeat: “I am going back to my 

roots, to what is now Birmingham Women’s 

and Children’s Hospital. The biggest thing 

I will miss from SWB is the people - I know 

everyone says that but it is true. I have 

had the opportunity to meet and work 

alongside so many talented people that I 

will be sad to say goodbye. 

“I’ve truly enjoyed working here – you are a 

fantastic group of people. I am so proud of 

all of our shared achievements, all thanks to 

the teamwork across the organisation.” 

Bethan added: “It would be lovely to stay 

in touch with people so remember I’m only 

an email away if you ever need any help or 

guidance.” 

Frieza Mahmood, Director of People and 

Organisation Development, commented: “I 

have worked with Bethan for several years 

and will be sorry to see her go. Whatever 

the situation, Bethan always approaches it 

with a pragmatic and positive attitude and 

never shies away from a challenge. She will 

carry these qualities with her to her new 

role and will undoubtedly be a success.” 

Bethan Downing 

29

Letters, of less than 200 words please, can be sent to the Communications Department, 

Trust Headquarters, Sandwell Hospital or by email to swb–tr.SWBH–GM–Heartbeat@nhs.net 

YOUR RIGHT TO BE HEARD 

Slipping and sliding into work 

Dear Heartbeat, 

With colder days ahead of us, and 

more frosty and icy conditions, I was 

wondering if the Trust is going to 

start gritting some of the paths and 

walkways. 

I’ve noticed when I was working during 

the festive period that it was very 

slippery and icy everywhere I walked. 

I understand paths and areas offsite 

cannot be gritted, but could we perhaps 

look into gritting our own paths? As it 

looks like the weather will be getting 

colder for the coming weeks, it would 

be nice if this could be done across 

our sites to ensure staff can stay safe 

and minimise risk of serious injury from 

falling. 

Kind regards 

Anon 

Dear Colleague, 

Thank you for raising this issue, 

which is an important one for us 

during these cold wintry conditions. 

Commencing in November 2020 and 

throughout the winter months, the 

Trust appointed a winter gritting 

contractor to provide a fast response 

gritting service. 

They monitor the weather conditions 

on our behalf and mobilise their 

fleet of gritting vehicles to all 

of our sites if frost, snow or subzero 

temperatures are forecast. In 

addition to the roads and car parks 

being gritted by their fleet vehicles, 

they also manually apply rock salt to 

the building entrance and circulation 

footpaths around each site. 

Should weather conditions become 

too harsh, we also have a back-up 

gritting team made up of estates 

staff who are ready to provide 

additional gritting facility if weather 

conditions deteriorate. 

Yellow rock salt bins are located 

around each site to provide the 

facility for anyone to apply grit to an 

icy or frosty location that has yet to 

be reached by the gritting team and 

staff are encouraged to utilise these 

to assist in minimising icy hazards. 

These measures are in place to 

ensure colleagues stay safe and 

reduce the risk of slips and falls. Should 

you require further details of the Trust’s 

winter gritting arrangements, please 

contact me directly. 

Kind regards, 

Phil Foley, Deputy Head of Estates 

Ext 6088 

Has the mask policy changed or 

am I missing something here? 

Dear Heartbeat 

I recently visited City Hospital; however I 

was slightly alarmed when I got there. I 

went along the whole main spine and there 

were no face coverings available. Has the 

mask policy been changed since the launch 

of the vaccine? 

When I asked at the PPE station they said 

they didn’t have any. Have we run out of 

stock? What was even more alarming was 

the fact people were walking about care 

free without masks on. I don’t expect this 

on my local high street, never mind in a 

hospital when we are currently in lockdown 

and things are worse than they have been 

before. 

To top it off, when I asked a member of 

staff where to get one he told me to try 

going on one of the wards to get one. 

Imagine if I actually followed his advice and 

went on a red ward, and either contracted 

COVID-19 or even worse, went on a blue 

ward and made one of our patients’ ill ? 

Kind regards 

Anon 

Dear colleague, 

Thank you for your Heartbeat letter. 

I am sorry to read that you struggled to 

find face masks in the corridors at City 

Hospital. To clarify, no, our policy has 

not changed. We expect everyone in the 

Trust to wear a face mask. 

We are routinely reiterating the need 

for masks to be worn in the corridors. 

We have never had a shortage of masks 

and I am disappointed to read that is 

the impression you were given. Each 

PPE station is left with facemasks on. 

When not staffed, sadly however, we 

are noting that when hundreds of 

masks are left, they seem to vanish 

overnight. 

Please be assured we have a sufficient 

supply of face masks and we have not 

changed the rules. 

Kind regards, 

Helen Bromage 

Interim Deputy Chief Nurse 

Do I still need to wear PPE now 

I’ve had the COVID jab? 

Dear Heartbeat, 

I’ve recently been lucky enough to receive 

my COVID vaccination. As I should expect 

to receive some level of immunity and 

protection in the coming weeks from the 

jab, am I now able to stop wearing PPE as 

I’m protected? I know we still need to be 

sensible, but could I wear less PPE perhaps 

if not stop using it altogether so that others 

who need it more can use it? Or, would you 

recommend I continue to wear it to help 

beat the virus? 

Thank you, 

Anon 

Dear colleague, 

Thank you for asking this important 

and relevant question. We know the 

vaccine is protective and vaccinated 

colleagues will feel more protected than 

before, but, the estimation of the level 

of protection offered by vaccination 

is difficult to establish at present - 

although our knowledge around this is 

improving day by day. 

This position will evolve. At present, 

we are not downgrading the risk 

assessments based on having the 

vaccine. Staff should strictly continue 

to adhere to infection control measures 

and workplace adjustments that are in 

place. 

This also means that shielding staff 

should still shield and those who 

have arrangements in place due to 

a high-risk assessment outcome (e.g. 

enhanced PPE) should maintain that 

additional protection and everyone 

should continue to follow strict social 

distancing rules. 

Kind regards, 

Dr Masood Aga 

Consultant and Specialty Lead in 

Occupational Medicine 

30

David talks about: Improving quality through 

adapting to change 

Professor David Carruthers, Medical Director and Acting Chief Executive 

Toby Lewis is away 

DAVID’S LAST WORD 

It has been truly fantastic to celebrate 

the winners of the annual quality 

improvement poster competition 

earlier in the month. This annual 

contest brings out so many initiatives 

that teams are proud to highlight 

and all because, at our Trust, we are 

committed to learning, improving and 

sharing that learning with others. 

Despite the pressures on our teams 

during this year of all years we still 

managed to have a record number 

of entries so I want to thank 

everyone who committed the time to 

summarising their quality improvement 

initiatives for this competition. We 

have all the entries on display in the 

education centre at Sandwell (which 

has now become our vaccine hospital 

hub) and you can also view each of 

them on Connect so they are visible 

online from wherever you are. The 

winning entries are profiled on the 

front cover of this edition of Heartbeat. 

The individuals and teams behind these 

schemes deserve your recognition. 

It was a privilege to be one of the 

judges this year because it meant 

that I had the opportunity to review 

each and every one of the shortlisted 

entries. It never fails to amaze me 

how diligent so many of you are to 

making improvements in your area of 

work. The improvements ranged from 

schemes to make our services more 

accessible to patients, recognising the 

different needs of individuals, to large 

scale service changes, all to either 

improve outcomes for patients or 

experience for colleagues and partners. 

Some of the changes required to 

bring about improvement may have 

been straightforward to enact but the 

majority, I am sure, will have taken 

time, energy and resilience. Change 

is not easy. It takes courage to speak 

up and say that things can be better. 

It also takes tenacity to overcome 

setbacks and listen to differing views 

and opinions on how things should be 

done. Engaging with others is often 

a marker of success, certainly in how 

sustainable our quality improvement 

initiatives are. Every shortlisted entrant 

and winning project demonstrated that in 

spades. 

I know that through this year’s process 

a number of “COVID learnings” were 

highlighted. Although not all of these 

were in the shortlisted pile, it is clear that 

throughout the challenges that have 

faced us this year, the pandemic has 

either directly caused, or allowed us to 

make changes that previously we would 

have found more difficult. We have 

had to learn and adapt at pace as our 

understanding changed and grew. I know 

that the past 12 months has tested many 

of us beyond what we thought we could 

endure but I have never been more proud 

to be part of such a committed and 

humble team that has taken all that has 

been thrown at us and used it to make 

positive change. 

We know now that we can use 

technology to check in on our patients 

who are in the community, and use this 

at scale for our outpatient services. Our 

rapid changes on infection control and 


PPE, although at times bewildering 

to keep up with, have kept pace 

with the changing knowledge about 

this virus. We have set up services 

in days, not months and years, 

such as our vaccination hub. We 

have confidence that obstacles can 

be overcome, and solutions found 

by working together for the same 

goals. 

Despite the very tough start to 2021, 

I remain confident in the hope of 

a brighter year ahead where our 

experiences over the past long 

months have shaped our response 

and our adaptability to whatever 

the future brings. Those small or 

large scale quality improvements 

that have been embedded this year 

are evidence of that and I know we 

will see more and better changes 

in our offering for our patients, our 

communities and each other in the 

months and years ahead. 

Sandwell and 


NHS Trust 

Service Improvement – Speech and Language 

Therapy Service to Mainstream Schools 

Who we are… 

The Speech and Language Therapy team sits within the Children's 

Therapies Service and we offer support to mainstream schools in 

Sandwell so they can then support children with Speech, Language and 

Communication Needs (SLCN). SLCN are very common, they impact on 

learning, mental health, making friends and can often be undiagnosed. 

Developmental Language Disorder is an example of SLCN and is a 

new diagnosis that describes children who have difficulties with spoken 

language that are likely to be life long. 

Our Challenge... 

To review the service we offer to mainstream primary schools in Sandwell 

and make it as effective and efficient as possible. 

Audit 

ü We carried out a review of our current service including how often 

children are seen and what sort of advice we are offering on a regular basis. 

• As a service 63% of our time was spent supporting children 

who required assessment and advice for language needs and 

only 8% of our time was spent supporting children with 

complex communication needs. 

• Only 5% of our time was spent supporting children in year 

6 before and during their transition to secondary school 

which is a significant challenge when you have 

communication needs. 

ü We reviewed the evidence base including attendance at a national 

conference on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and contacted 

other local Speech and Language Therapy Teams to collect together 

best practise. 

ü We carried out consultation with service users; 

• Each school has a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) 

and we attended their team meetings 

• Held parent drop in sessions 

• Sent written information to all families and school management 

offering the opportunity for them to contact us 

Outcome 

The review and consultations highlighted which areas of our service were 

having the least impact and highlighted the amount of time we were 

spending on these activities. 

2020 QIHD Poster Winner 

The evidence shows that children with on going SLCN are best supported 

by; introducing a tiered approach to the service, ensuring close 

collaboration between therapist and school and a combination of 

staff training and coaching. There is also evidence that a consultative 

model where a SLT service offers ‘reviews’ for children with language 

needs in school is not effective at bringing about change for that child. 

K. Dunn Speech and Language Therapist 

Change 

We stopped offering reviews for children with ongoing language needs 

and instead we used our time to offer the following: 

• Developed training packages to offer free sessions to school 

staff and share information on communication and how this can 

be supported in school 

• This allowed us to offer the information previously discussed in 

reviews in more depth 

• To date 71/99 primary schools have sent at least 1 member of 

staff on a training session 

“Lots of practical resources, strategies and games, definitely 

found this worthwhile!” 

Designed a standardised pathway 

for children with SLCN in a 

mainstream school based on an 

evidence based tiered approach. 

We were able to offer intensive 

support for children with 

more complex or persistent 

communication difficulties 

which was not previously an option. 

Children who have started school with no way of communicating 

were prioritised and offered intensive therapy in school. 

We are currently planning support for year 6 children with DLD 

to attend group therapy to support their transition to secondary 

school. 

Arranged a joint working party with therapists and school staff to 

plan how to support children in Sandwell together. 

The working party meets termly and so far we have been 

able to; 

• Contribute to local legislation 

• Review and adapt pathways offered by the SLT service 

• Review effectiveness of paperwork 

Next steps 

• Expand options for intensive therapy packages 

Specialist 

input 

Targeted support 

including training 

Universal Support 

including screening 

“Thank you so much for these resources. Excellent!!” 

“An excellent starting point from which to develop the 

mainstream service further” 

• Expand training packages and coaching opportunities for 

school staff 

LSP 

SENCo 

Department of Speech and Language Therapy, 

Children’s Community Therapies and Nursing 

SLT 

31

Your Trust Charity looking for your 

lockdown-beating fundraising ideas 

@SWBHCharity To donate 

to the Your Trust Charity text 

“SWBH16 £5” to 70070 

As the Coronavirus pandemic goes 

on, we are all doing what we can for 

patients, relatives and of course each 

other. 

All areas of our local community and the 

#SWBfamily need and give the support 

they can but, if you want to make a direct 

difference even in a pandemic, Your Trust 

Charity is still here and wants to hear your 

ideas. 

Every donation to YTC, no matter how small, 

helps people close to our organisation and 

makes it a better place for those that use it. 

And whilst we may not be able to do bake 

sales and things of that nature, there are still 

things we can all do to raise money. 

Do you paint? Make things, like pottery? Do 

you knit or sew? Perhaps you make music 

or even DJ. Were you going to raise money 

with a sponsored climb or run a marathon? 

Well, that can still be done, just from 

home. How many times up and down your 

staircase do you think it would take to climb 

Snowdon? How many laps of the garden 

would it take to meet your initial running 

target? Maybe you can do a virtual London 

YOUR TRUST CHARITY 

to Brighton bike ride, or if you're keen 

even tackle the equivalent of Land's End 

to John O' Groats on your exercise bike. 

(Not in one go, obviously.) 

If you have the time and what to help 

make SWB even better then please get 

in touch. Your Trust Charity needs your 

help and wants to help you create the 

best lockdown beating charity ideas you 

can. 

Together we can make a difference. 

If you are interested in fundraising 

you can get in contact at https:// 

www.swbh.nhs.uk/charity/ 

fundraising/ 

How will you get involved? This is just some of the fantastic ways people have supported Your Trust Charity 

January 2021 staff lottery results 

1st £183.25 

Michelle O’Connor 

2nd £109.95 

Hannah Goodwin 

3rd £73.30 

Andy Watson 

Don’t forget that Your Trust Charity lottery costs just £1 a month and anyone 

who works for the Trust can join. Payment is deducted from your wages each 

month. To take part email amanda.winwood@nhs.net.

Heartbeat January 2021

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