Heartbeat July 2019
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FROM THE CHAIR<br />
Contact us<br />
Communications Team<br />
Ext 5303<br />
swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
HELLO<br />
Welcome to our <strong>July</strong> issue of<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong>. We are now a smokefree<br />
site. Read about how the ban has<br />
attracted international attention on<br />
page 3.<br />
As we all get set for Unity, the centre<br />
spread gives you a week by week guide<br />
on what you need to do to ensure you<br />
are ready for our electronic patient<br />
record.<br />
Also, see page 21 for a simple initiative<br />
to help welcome new starters using<br />
coloured dots.<br />
Communications Department<br />
Ground Floor, Trinity House<br />
Sandwell Hospital<br />
Published by<br />
Communications Team<br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham<br />
Hospitals NHS Trust<br />
Designed by<br />
Medical Illustration,<br />
Graphics Team<br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham<br />
Hospitals NHS Trust<br />
We are determined to keep our sites<br />
smokefree<br />
This month has demonstrated great team<br />
work at our Trust as we became smokefree<br />
across our sites. I have been delighted to<br />
see the concerted effort from so many<br />
colleagues in ensuring that our ban is, to<br />
date, a real success. This has involved our<br />
ward teams, clinicians talking to patients<br />
in pre-op, pharmacy, occupational health,<br />
partner organisations, the security team<br />
and service leaders who have all taken part<br />
in smokefree patrols.<br />
My particular thanks to our staff at Rowley<br />
Regis who went above and beyond to<br />
get their site ready. There is a renewed<br />
effort to make sure that the site is never<br />
forgotten, and new arrangements for<br />
security at the hospital are under urgent<br />
review.<br />
As you all know, smoking kills which is why we<br />
are so determined to keep our sites free from<br />
the toxins produced by cigarette smoke.<br />
Over 70 people have taken part in smoking<br />
warden patrols (including myself!) and many<br />
are keen to continue, building it into their<br />
working week/day. What most people have fed<br />
back is how enjoyable these walkabouts have<br />
been in providing an opportunity to really see<br />
what is going on across our sites, a chance to<br />
bump into colleagues as well as talk to patients<br />
and relatives. The more people who take part<br />
in a patrol as well as all of us continuing to<br />
challenge any sign of smoking, will see us<br />
sustain our success. The anxiety that many had<br />
about challenging smokers has largely been<br />
reduced as all but a handful of people smoking<br />
have been quick to apologise, stub it out or<br />
move off site.<br />
Part of our success has no doubt been the fact<br />
that we are offering alternatives, with free<br />
NRT and access to clinics during work time<br />
for colleagues, provision of vaping shops that<br />
are there to help people cut down and quit<br />
smoking, and NRT supplied on our wards for<br />
inpatients. Lots of you have told me that the<br />
date of 5th <strong>July</strong> gave them something to work<br />
towards to stop smoking and I am so pleased<br />
to hear of the money saved and health benefits<br />
that are already being realised. Many Trusts<br />
have been in touch to see how we can help<br />
them on their smokefree journey so I’m sure<br />
your hard work will be replicated elsewhere<br />
– hopefully by the next NHS birthday every<br />
healthcare facility will be smokefree.<br />
The day before our smokefree launch we held<br />
our Trust Board meeting at the Nishkam Centre<br />
on Soho Road. It was great to return to that<br />
facility and inspiring yet again to see how the<br />
Nishkam is integrating and supporting the<br />
community around it including providing an<br />
‘outstanding’ rated school, a pharmacy, health<br />
centre and many other support services. They<br />
are truly an example to us all of integrated<br />
care in action. Board colleagues were also<br />
delighted to hear from our children’s services<br />
to better understand the vital role that our<br />
health visiting, school nursing, complex care<br />
and paediatric teams provide to support<br />
children and their families – and how these<br />
teams were determined to work seamlessly for<br />
our younger patients with partners and each<br />
other. Our ambitious public health plans rely<br />
on wrap around care for the youngest in our<br />
communities and it is heartening to hear about<br />
the difference those teams are making, day in,<br />
day out and their drive for achieving the best<br />
health outcomes from their services.<br />
Richard Samuda – Trust Chairman<br />
Submit an idea<br />
If you’d like to submit an idea<br />
for an article, contact the<br />
communications team<br />
Ext 5303<br />
swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
Stay updated<br />
We send out a Communications<br />
Bulletin via email every day and you<br />
can now read <strong>Heartbeat</strong> articles<br />
throughout the month on Connect.<br />
Don't forget you can follow us on:<br />
Celebrating Eid alongside our colleagues in the Muslim Liaison Group
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