David Carruthers, Medical Director

Toby is away

Sunday was a special day, when we saw the NHS celebrated nationally for providing free healthcare at point of use to our communities for 72 years. As we joined in the celebrations, this year was all about thanking our communities for their support to the NHS during the pandemic. You will have seen on social media photos of our sites (City, Leasowes, Rowley and Sandwell) lit up in blue. I am grateful to those of you who put a light in your windows to say thank you to all those who have stood with us.

With the further easing of lockdown this past weekend and social distancing measures, it is now more important than ever to ensure we do not relax our approach to COVID-19. We have all worked so hard to offer patients the best we can under challenging circumstances. We must continue to maintain our handwashing, mask wearing, good use of PPE and social distancing (in our workplace we will continue to observe the 2m social distancing rule).

As we continue to play our part in finding out more about COVID-19, I’m pleased that our research and development team have announced the launch of the SIREN study. It aims to determine if previous COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers confers future immunity from having the infection again. It will also look at any new infection and therefore will involve both repeat swab and the antibody blood test every two weeks on average (variable from 1 to 4 weekly sampling), for one year. Dr Masood Aga, Consultant and Specialty Lead in Occupational Medicine is leading the study, please consider whether you can help and contact the team for more information.

Tackling COVID-19 means ensuring that we are doing all we can to keep you safe at work. Over the past week you will have received an email from occupational health asking you to complete your risk assessment. Over 2,000 have now done this – thank you. If you haven’t already done so, I would urge you to do so as soon as possible. Your response will help us to assess your level of risk and enable managers to be provided with the actions they are required to take to keep you safe at work. Follow this link to complete the form COVID Risk Assessment Form

Your health and wellbeing remains a significant part of our offer as we fight COVID-19. I do encourage you to take advantage of the services we have on offer. See Connect for further details and take that first step to look after your wellbeing.

At Public Health & Equality Committee this week we discussed the ‘countdown plan’ to launch the healthy weight element of our staff wellbeing programme. This is due to go live on 14 August, and over the coming weeks you will begin to see a preview of some of the exciting offers we will launch next month. Our wellbeing programme is part of our wider wellbeing strategy which aims to tackle the rising incidence of obesity in our locality. More information will continue to be shared in the communications bulletin, please get involved and share your views.

It was good see the Junior Doctors and Medical Students Common Room, finally open on Tuesday. The new area boasts comfy sofas, a kitchenette, and two rest rooms, which each house a reclining chair and black out blinds. There are lockers and two computers where colleagues are able to continue with any work they need to. This is a fantastic resource for our medical colleagues. Thank you to doctors Alison Eastaugh and Eoin Dore for coming up with the idea and seeing it to fruition.

Congratulations to Dr May Yan who has taken over as Clinical Specialty Lead for Acute Medicine. May’s immediate priority is to help the team ‘restore and recover’ to some normality, to identify useful changes and new ways of working from our COVID-19 experience and how to sustain them, and to also to focus on the team’s training, education and wellbeing. May will play a vital role in integrating our City and Sandwell acute medicine teams in preparation for our move into MMUH...

Just over a year ago, the brand new clinical research facility (CRF) celebrated its launch. The CRF which boasts nine clinic rooms and associated facilities is available for research clinics and research related procedures. During May this year, new monitors with webcams were installed to ready the facility for Visionable web-clinics.

Prior to suspension of face to face clinics, the CRF was regularly used to approach and consent discussions and follow up visits for a variety of research projects for patients with a number of health conditions including cardiac problems and metabolic disorders, gastroenterology and haematology. Preparations to transfer in Dr Diana Kavanagh’s Friday respiratory clinic had been underway immediately prior to the shutdown of non-essential face to face clinics at the start of the pandemic. There are also plans to move in some of the haematology outpatients.

“You don’t have to only see patients who are going to be taking part in research to use the clinical research facility,” said Gina Dutton, Head of Research and Development. “Clinics that are suitable to take place in the CRF are those where a high proportion of patients are suitable to take part in research. So we would expect you to have a study open or ready to open and a plan for pipeline of studies to use the facility for a full clinic. “The CRF has been an excellent investment and has meant that we have the facilities available to enable Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust to be chosen to deliver staff research.

“We are keen for new investigators to come forward and make grant applications to expand both within Trust research and to have a wider influence.”

The CRF is an ideal location to undertake research where a new treatment modality or intervention which can be delivered in an outpatient setting can be tested. There is a research laboratory with facilities to process blood and other samples for refrigeration and freezing for storage and dispatch to analysis labs. The CRF is also used for research project site initiation visits and monitoring visits, where sponsors visit the Trust to check source data for licencing studies. Face to face external visitor meetings are temporarily suspended and so our new web equipment has proved invaluable in making sure that these important activities can continue.

Colleagues are encouraged to contact R&D early in your discussions about new SWB originated research. The team can show you the facilities available as well as provide advice on grant applications and ethics and approvals processes. Contact Zaida Khalil on [email protected].

Be sure to check out this short video featuring Gina Dutton, Head of Research and Development talking about our clinical research facility at the Trust.

The local organisations listed below have confirmed to the Trust that they will be operating holiday play clubs on a limited basis for children up to 11 years of age.

Colleagues wishing to access their facilities should make contact with them directly as soon as possible as places are limited.

Note: As part of their risk assessment arrangements parents may be required to provide details of schools/childcare facilities children have attended during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to comply with current public health guidance and maintain consistent child groups or bubbles.

The Gap Centre, Hargate Lane, West Bromwich. Tel 0121 525 4442, website: thegaponline.org

Kaidrums Childcare, Yew Tree Estate, Walsall. Tel: 07800 590 548, email: [email protected]

Victoria House Holiday Playscheme, Corbett Street, Smethwick. Tel: 0121 555 6361

Bright Lights Day Care , Great Arthur Street, Smethwick B66 1DH. Email: [email protected]

Kings Camp – Birmingham (Blue Coat School and King Edwards Boys School). Website: kingscamps.org

Further details of other child care facilities including childminders can be found by clicking here.

For more information please call 0121 507 3566.

Holiday plays clubs for under 11's: Limited spaces . The local organisations listed below have confirmed to the Trust that they will be operating holiday play clubs on a limited basis for children up to 11 years of age.

Colleagues wishing to access thei...

An important note for those at both City and Sandwell Hospitals regarding PPE and scrubs.

As of Monday 13 July the PPE hub at City presently on D18 will be relocating to the reception area outside the Foot Health and Diabetes Outpatients Clinic – on the first floor above Arches Café.

This area is sufficient for PPE but unfortunately cannot facilitate space for scrubs. Scrubs should therefore only be collected from the wards where they are delivered daily. Similarly, scrubs will no longer be available from the PPE area at Sandwell (outside the Bryan Knight Suite). Again, scrubs should be collected from the wards.

The Good Clinical Trials Collaborative would like anyone who has actively working on a randomised clinical trial since the beginning of the year to complete a short survey of experiences of conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic including where you have had to make changes to your practice.

Note: A short introductory video and the survey can be found at the link below.

Our Star of the Week Award this week goes to Catherine Morris, Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Catherine has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the past few months. she has managed to juggle her professional role by working within the acute setting and within the community hospital (Leasowes). Catherine always remains approachable, bubbly, caring and professional despite the pressure from the pandemic. Cath has adapted well to the changes made within the team. She has had to put her new job role on pause to ensure that there is enough support for colleagues within both settings and for the patients. Catherine is very thorough in her role, values the points of others and ensures that others are informed at all times. She gets on well with everyone and has supported and guided the therapists within the acute setting and at Leasowes during the pandemic.

Do you know someone in your team that has gone above and beyond the call of duty? Why not put them forward for Star of the Week by clicking here.

PPE hub on the move at City and Sandwell from 13 July . An important note for those at both City and Sandwell Hospitals regarding PPE and scrubs.

As of Monday 13 July the PPE hub at City presently on D18 will be relocating to the reception area outside the ...

Are you working on a randomised clinical trial - complete our survey . The Good Clinical Trials Collaborative would like anyone who has actively working on a randomised clinical trial since the beginning of the year to complete a short survey of experiences of conducting ...

The transfusion practitioners will be doing training for blood collection on Wednesday 15 July at Sandwell Education Centre (Room 5). The team currently have nine appointments available.

Note: Training is by appointment only.

To book please email [email protected] or call ext 2494.