Heartbeat March 2020

March 2020 

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 126 

TEAM WORK 

page 3 

COVID-19: All 

the guidance 

you need 

Organ and 

tissue donation 

law is changing 

GEMS launch 

Your Health 

Partnership is now 

part of #SWBFamily 

Pages 3 to 10 

Page 11 

Pages 13 

Page 15

Welcome to the March edition of 

Heartbeat. 

We find ourselves in this unique and 

unparalleled situation. In tough times 

our workplace has shown just how 

caring and kind it is – something we 

can all be proud of. 

This month we bring you stories from 

across the organisation. Please enjoy 

and catch up on the latest news from 

your colleagues. 

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 

HELLO 

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: 

FROM THE CHAIR 

Everyone matters as we work 

with flexibility and kindness 

I have been overwhelmed over recent 

weeks by the dedication of colleagues 

in our acute medical unit, teams in 

theatres, the new Care Homes Service, 

primary care and our midwives too, 

all working differently to help meet 

the challenge of COVID-19. The Board 

stands with you. The compassion of 

our teams is inspiring particularly in 

our A&Es and acute medical areas. I 

know that many of you are frightened 

and concerned, and that you have 

loved ones who echo those fears. At 

a senior clinical and managerial level 

we are needing to make sense of what 

has to happen, learning from London 

and overseas, and trying to balance 

a Trust response, with one from the 

wider region, and consider national 

instructions too. 

Last Friday we reviewed progress as a Board 

and talked through with Toby, Liam and the 

team how the first few weeks of mobilisation 

had gone. It is clear locally and nationally 

that PPE is a real issue with some stock 

inflow being patchy. We have gone above 

PHE recommendations in many cases. We 

have a few hoarders internally and our initial 

supply to community settings was not clear 

to all colleagues. With the new stock rooms 

at the Lyng, D18 and so on, and with the 

army now organising the drop, I believe 

we can get to a place where – if we can 

sort scrubs – we can be confident of 

coming on shift with what you need, even 

as we expand. 

Testing for staff is a nationwide issue. I was 

pleased that we were pretty much first out 

of the start gate ten days ago with 

swabbing, and huge thanks to our 

community testers for that. Now the 

country is gearing up to “test, test, test” 

and I know we will want to make sure that 

local GPs, social workers, nurses and ward 

service officers are at the forefront. With 

the strength of our laboratories within Black 

Country Pathology I am sure we are well 

placed to begin to get on top of this. The 

evidence from overseas seems clear that part 

of the curve flattening comes from getting 

organised and targeted tests. 

However heroic the language used nationally 

or locally, the pandemic will bring tragedy 

into households and trauma for teams who 

see people die before their time, and possibly 

without some of their family members able 

to visit. We have emphasised psychological 

wellbeing and I would urge you to use the 

services on offer. Confide in colleagues. 

Take time out. Find space to support others. 

Where you can, find private places to discuss 

your concerns, without showing our patients 

the anxiety we share. With social distancing, 

and better use of technology, we can find 

safe ways to give each other time and 

respect and try to support one another. 

I know that being asked to work so 

differently is an extraordinary request - being 

asked to move to a hotel room (or caravan). 

I share your worry about other patients 

delayed from our care. I am pleased we 

have prioritised End of Life Care with the 

changes at Leasowes. It is really important 

that we look after people with underlying 

health conditions among our students, staff 

and volunteers. I suspect we are getting 

our response broadly right, but sometimes 

precisely wrong. Everyone matters and 

we need to work hard to find individual 

solutions, with flexibility and kindness. We 

really do want to hear from you to learn 

of your concerns so please get in touch. 

We support the difficult decisions you are 

having to make as we gear up and see more 

patients needing our care. The Trust and NHS 

will come through this, as will the country. 

How we look after each other now will 

define what comes next. Stay well and wash 

your hands, often. 

Richard Samuda, Trust Chairman 

Harjinder Kang, Vice-Chairman 

Kate Thomas, Non-Executive Director 

Lesley Writtle, Non-Executive Director 

Marie Perry, Non-Executive Director 

Mick Laverty, Non-Executive Director 

Mike Hoare, Non-Executive Director 

Waseem Zaffar, Non-Executive Director 

Chairman, Richard Samuda

Our Trust’s plan to manage 

the pandemic 

Treating and caring for a significantly 

larger number of patients who may 

become increasingly unwell has been 

the main challenge for us caused by 

coronavirus. We now have a clear plan 

in place to manage both the patient 

needs and help all colleagues stay 

healthy and at work. 

Our plan has six parts: 

1. Expanding our critical 

care capacity 

Intensive care will expand into D16 at City 

Hospital and Newton 1 (OPAU) at Sandwell 

Hospital as this is required. Anaesthetists 

and intensivists will run these facilities with 

nurses and health care assistants. In order to 

properly staff these newly expanded areas 

we will need an additional 160 colleagues 

to join that team, who will come initially 

from theatres but will also need colleagues 

in some speciality roles and other ward 

areas. Our training has been developed to 

equip colleagues with the skills they need. 

2. Changes to medical rotas in 

our assessment areas and wards 

Doctors in higher level training and those 

who have been recently working on our 

medical wards and assessment units have 

to date been staffing these areas. We will 

increasingly need to look to doctors from 

other areas supporting the rotas including 

from surgical and less acute specialties. 

Information on the training available is on 

Connect. 

3. Non-ward based clinicians 

to be moved to work on our 

wards 

With the expanded critical care units and 

extra wards open we know we will need 

the support of about 100 nurses and 

health care assistants, who currently work 

in other areas, to care for patients in our 

community and acute wards. Training has 

been developed and individuals are being 

contacted directly to be asked to take on a 

new ward-based role. 

4. New hires and other 

colleagues deployed differently 

We are still recruiting! Our therapy support 

to our ward areas remains vital and we 

know that we will need an increase in 

colleagues worked as ward clerks, health 

care assistants and ward service officers. 

People may be asked to fulfil one of these 

roles with the appropriate training. 

COVID-19 

5. Payment for working 

differently 

If you are deployed to work in a different 

role you will be paid the higher amount 

of either your existing salary or new 

salary. We will aim to accommodate your 

personal circumstances in developing 

shift patterns and, where possible, will 

move pairs of people from teams to 

new roles. Our bank shift rates will also 

increase. 

6. Integrated care at scale 

Acute and community services remain 

integrated and we will look to move 

roles between different areas. We 

continue to support primary care 

with staffing and personal protective 

equipment (PPE), in particular the 

two GP practices in our areas that are 

operating solely for COVID-19 patients – 

Aston Pride and Parsonage Street. 

Thank you to all colleagues who 

are and will be working in different 

ways to support patients and each 

other. You are truly our NHS Heroes. 

Intensive care training began on 30 March 2020 

3

Trust areas turn red and blue 

COVID-19 

So that it is clear for all colleagues, our wards and clinical 

departments are now designated either red or blue. 

Red Areas 

Blue Areas 

Red wards are areas where there are patients being cared for 

who are either confirmed as having COVID-19 or displaying 

COVID-19 symptoms. In these areas it is vital that the correct 

personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn. Each ward door 

has an image of what PPE should be worn on entry and for 

what procedures. 

Blue wards are areas where the patients have no symptoms 

of COVID-19. In these areas the PPE requirements are to wear 

a fluid-resistant surgical face mask, disposable apron and 

disposable gloves. 

Our lifts 

Minimising the risk of infection spread is vital. Because of this our lifts are also designated as either red or blue: red for the transfer 

of patients with COVID-19 symptoms and blue for all other lift usage 

4

Managing your health and wellbeing 

during COVID-19 

Taking care of yourself and in particular, 

your psychological health is as 

important as your physical health in the 

extraordinary times we find ourselves 

living in. Self-care is different for 

everyone and finding coping mechanisms 

that work for you will help to boost your 

emotional and mental wellbeing. 

To help you stay healthy during this time we 

have a wide array of resources available. 

Free and confidential 

counselling 

The Trust offers a free and confidential 

counselling service. If you would like 

to speak to someone you can call 

extension 3306 and ask for a counselling 

appointment. 

A drop-in counselling service can be 

accessed via one of the Trust’s accredited 

counsellors on the following days and times: 

Mondays: 7pm - 9pm. Linda can be 

reached on 07973 664125. 

Thursdays: 7 pm - 9 pm. Tony can be 

reached on 07970 225929. 

You can also access 24/7 counselling 

through Health Assured Counselling on 

0800 783 2808. 

Resilience coaching – 

confidential 1-1 support 

Resilience Coaching is a 1-1 confidential 

conversation and delivered using technology 

to make it as easy as possible for colleagues 

to access. If you would like to have an 

initial conversation to see if this might help, 

please email richard.burnell@nhs.net Visit 

Connect for further information. 

Unmind 

Unmind is a mental health platform that 

empowers you to proactively improve your 

mental wellbeing. Using scientifically-backed 

assessments, tools and training you can 

measure and manage your personal mental 

health needs, including digital programmes 

designed to help with stress, sleep, coping, 

connection, fulfilment and nutrition. 

How to access Unmind: 

• Go to nhs.unmind.com/signup 

• Sign up with your NHS email address 

• Download the Unmind app from your 

app store - your organisation name 

is NHS 

If you do not see your NHS email domain or 

have another support query, please visit the 

FAQs and support for more information. 

Free access to wellbeing apps 

NHS staff have been given 

free access to several 

wellbeing apps from now 

until the end of December 

2020 to support your mental 

health and wellbeing. 

Headspace 

Headspace is a science-backed app in 

mindfulness and meditation, providing unique 

tools and resources to help reduce stress, 

build resilience, and aid better sleep. 

How to access Headspace: 

• Go to www.headspace.com/nhs to 

access this app.There is an option to 

select clinical or non-clinical staff to start 

enrolling. 

• You will need to use your NHS email 

address to sign up 

Access their FAQs and support for more 

information. 

COVID-19 

Sleepio and Daylight 

(developed by Big Health) 

Sleepio is a clinically-evidenced sleep 

improvement programme that is fully 

automated and highly personalised, 

using cognitive behavioural techniques 

to help improve poor sleep. 

Daylight is a smartphone-based app that 

provides help to people experiencing 

symptoms of worry and anxiety, using 

evidence-based cognitive behavioural 

techniques, voice and animation. 

How to access Sleepio: 

• Go to sleepio.com/access 

• Sign up for an account using your 

name and email address 

• Click ‘Personalise Sleepio’ 

• Get started. 

How to access Daylight: 

• Go to trydaylight.com/access 

• Answer a few short questions to 

tailor the programme to you 

• Sign up for an account using your 

name and email address 

• Download the Daylight smartphone 

app (search ‘Daylight - Worry Less’ 

on both iPhone and Android) 

• Get started. 

For technical support please 

contact hello@sleepio.com or 

hello@trydaylight.com 

Priority shopping at 

supermarkets 

Many of the major supermarkets have a 

reserved time for NHS workers to do their 

shopping outside of busy periods. 

• Sainsbury’s - every day from 7.30 am 

- 8 am 

• Asda - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 

8 am – 9 am 

• Tesco - Every Sunday, priority browsing 

hour before checkouts open 

• Co-op - Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 

9 am and Sunday 10 am – 11 am 

• Marks and Spencer - Tuesday and 

Friday – the first hour of opening 

• Morrisons - Monday to Saturday, the 

first hour of opening 

• Iceland - Monday to Friday, the final 

hour of trading. 

• Aldi - open 30 minutes early on 

Sundays for NHS, police and fire service. 

Priority entry will be given to those with 

an NHS badge at any time of the day. 

Why not visit our very own pop 

up shop? 

Your Trust Charity has recently launched a 

pop up shop at Sandwell Hospital. This shop is 

specifically for our frontline colleagues. 

You are able to purchase essential items such 

as pasta, fruit, toilet roll and cleaning products. 

Only card and contactless payments are accepted 

and items are limited to one per person. 

The pop up shop is located in seminar room 

seven, learning and development. The shop will 

be open on the following days and times: 

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday 

• 7.30am – 10am and 13.30 – 16.00 

We are working with a local business near 

City Hospital to try and secure priority 

entrance to staff with preference on 

selected goods. We’re also working hard to 

provide colleagues in the community with 

access to care packages. Watch this space 

for more information! 

5

Face visor 

Disposable 

gloves 

FFP3 

Long 

sleeved 

gown 

Scrubs 

Surgical 

face mask 

Disposable 

apron 

Disposable 

gloves 

This does not mean that in COVID ward areas this protection 

must be worn all the time or by all entrants 

Face visor 

Disposable 

gloves 

FFP3 

Long 

sleeved 

gown 

Taking care to protect each other 

COVID-19 

Know when to self-isolate 

For colleagues who have symptoms of 

either a persistent cough or a raised 

temperature the guidance is that you selfisolate 

for a minimum of 7 days from 

the date your symptoms started. When 

self-isolating, notify your line manager and 

confirm the date of your self-isolation and 

discuss whether you are able to undertake 

any work at home. 

On day 8, if your symptoms have improved, 

you feel better and you have no fever you 

are able to return to work. 

Isolation when living in a symptomatic 

household 

If you live in a household where one of your 

household develops symptoms, then all 

members of the household must selfisolate 

at home for a period of 14 days. 

This isolation period starts from the date 

that the first person in the household began 

showing symptoms. If you are a patientfacing 

colleague we would strongly 

recommend that you move into one of 

our hotel rooms. 

Staff who have had contact with 

patients who are confirmed positive for 

COVID-19 

If you have been in contact with patients 

who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 

you can remain at work if you do not have 

symptoms. If you become symptomatic 

at any point, you must self-isolate in 

line with the guidance. 

Hotel accommodation is on offer to you 

You may find you have to remove yourself 

from your normal home, either to protect 

your loved ones or ensure you are able to 

help the NHS by staying well. We would 

urge colleagues to consider this option, 

which all of the NHS is working through. 

Leaving loved ones and established 

households is not easy, but as travel gets 

tougher, shift patterns change, and it 

becomes ever more vital to be ready for an 

evolving patient care emergency. 

To book a room please contact the team on 

swbh.hotel-booking@nhs.net 

If your request is out of hours, you will get 

an out of office email with instructions of 

the number to call in order to book your 

room. 

In addition, we have got on-site 

accommodation available for up to seven 

days aimed primarily at people working 

exhausting shift patterns or live far away. 

You can connect with that offer through 

our accommodation service via IVOR. We 

have paused refurbishment work on some 

rooms while we face the first phase of 

COVID-19. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 

What should I wear? 

Our guidance on the correct PPE to use has 

been in most cases ahead of the national 

guidance from Public Health England and 

is to ensure that we protect all colleagues 

caring for patients who may or may not 

have COVID-19. 

For all contacts with patients you 

should wear: 

• Fluid-resistant surgical mask 

• Disposable gloves 

• Disposable apron 

This now includes all visits to patients in 

their own homes and clinic appointments. 

Sandwell and 

West Birmingham 

LOW 

INFECTION 

AREA 

On entering this ward 

you MUST wear a 

surgical mask 

In blue areas you should wear: 




NHS Trust 

Please ensure you wear the 

correct PPE in this area. 

In red areas you should wear: 




If you are doing aerosol-generating 

procedures (AGPs) or you are providing 

close care (within 1 metre) of a +COVID 

patient who is at risk of rapid deterioration 

you should wear: 

• FFP3 mask that you have been face 

fitted for 

• Face visor 

• Long-sleeved gown 



Sandwell and 

West Birmingham 

HIGH 

INFECTION 

RISK AREA 

Aerosol 

Generating 

Procedure (AGP) 

Hand washing 

COVID-19 suspected 

or confirmed or not 

been screened 

for symptoms 

Hand washing 

NHS Trust 

Close care of +COVID-19 

patients (less than 1 metre) 

where rapid deterioration 

is likely 

Hand washing 

Where should I get my PPE from? 

PPE stocks are available in all ward 

areas, clinical departments and 

community bases. There are stocks 

available from distribution hubs 

across the Trust including Rowley 

Regis Hospital, the Lyng, D18 at City 

Hospital and the Bryan Knight Suite 

at Sandwell Hospital. 

PPE stations are in place outside wards. 

These allow staff coming onto a ward 

to put on the correct PPE before 

entering. It is primarily intended for the 

use of porters, therapists, pharmacists, 

transport colleagues and ward service 

officers. Wards should not use the 

station to replenish their own stocks. 

This must be sought from their site 

distribution hub. 

How do I get FIT tested? 

More FIT testing sessions are in 

place and you can book your own 

appointment by calling 5050. You don’t 

need to take a mask with you. You will 

be supplied with the correct FFP3 mask 

as part of your FIT test. 

6

It’s not all about hospitals: Read about 

our community response to COVID-19 

Mel Roberts 

Group Director of 

Operations - Primary 

Care, Community 

and Therapies 

Most of the services in the community 

have had to think quickly about how they 

previously delivered care and what they 

need to do now. This has meant that 

some of the developments have needed to 

happen at pace. Community teams have 

been amazing in how quickly they have 

responded to these changes and developed 

their own ideas about how to provide care 

safely for our vulnerable patients. Services 

that were deemed more ‘routine’ or nonessential 

have either been scaled back or 

are being offered virtually via technology. 

Helen Hurst 

Director of 

Midwifery 

Babies will not stop arriving and unlike 

many other services, we cannot reschedule 

for a later date! Our service comes with a 

time specific package, an incubation period 

all of its own - 40 weeks approximately. So, 

how can we do things differently? 

Well, we have a developed a business 

continuity plan based on guidance from 

the Royal College of Obstetricians and 

Gynaecology that covers the impact on our 

available workforce. Our consultants in both 

obstetrics and neonates are undertaking 

clinics remotely where possible and we have 

aligned the pathways to reduce the need 

for multiple appointments. Our sonography 

team and obstetricians have developed a 

plan for screening of unborn babies, with 

reduced attendances. Our community 

Face to face activity has been reduced to 

minimise the infection control risk. 

Admission avoidance visits across the 

community continues to be a priority as 

does support to discharge patients from 

ward areas to ensure patient flow. 

There is no doubt that these are difficult 

times. Everyone is affected personally 

in a different way. There are anxieties, 

mostly around PPE and safety. Front line 

colleagues are worried because community 

work in patients’ own homes can be quite 

unknown until you get there. But there 

are also worries about family situations 

– elderly relatives, childcare and loved 

ones. Colleagues are coping remarkably 

well during what is a very uncertain time. 

There is a real sense that we are all in this 

together and a willingness to be flexible to 

do what needs to get us all through. 

teams are working from their bases on 

the whole, undertaking post-natal triaging 

and ensuring our most vulnerable families 

continue to have care in their homes, whilst 

we deliver other care via postnatal clinics. 

Inpatient (maternity and neonates) services 

have created hot zones and pathways 

to care for our women and babies with 

confirmed or suspected COVID-19. These 

areas are also used by our community staff, 

ensuring we are working together as one 

family. 

We are all anxious, worried and scared. 

But we are coming together united in 

one belief that we will persevere. We will 

ensure all our staff, women and families are 

supported during this unprecedented time 

and things that we put in place now will 

help to shape our service to come. 

As midwives our worry is that women will 

choose not to engage with us as they are 

scared and we see an increase in mortality 

and morbidity that we have worked so hard 

to reduce. Now, more than ever, we need to 

listen and advise. 

COVID-19 

Dottie Tipton 

Primary Care 

Liaison Manager 

There have been several changes to GP 

practices and how they work. We now 

have two ‘hot’ sites set up to manage 

symptomatic patients from practices across 

Sandwell and West Birmingham - Parsonage 

Street that previously housed the Walk in 

Centre and our own Lyndon Health Centre, 

and Aston Pride Health, which was a branch 

practice of Newtown Health Centre. All 

patients will be booked into appointments 

at these sites by their own GP Practice 

or by colleagues in NHS 111. Walk-in 

appointments are not available. 

Practices across Ladywood, Perry Barr and 

Sandwell have swiftly moved all services 

to a telephone triage model, much like 

our hospital outpatient clinics. For a few 

patients that will mean they will be invited 

into practice to be seen, if the consultation 

by phone or video is not enough. 

A home visiting service went live on 30 

March with an initial capacity of 10 slots 

per day and plans to expand. The service 

will take referrals from practices for patients 

who need a home visit but do not require 

district nurse input. Some practices have 

seen as much as 25 per cent reduction in 

available workforce and therefore practices 

are looking to reduce the number of sites 

that patients are seen face to face. 

It’s not all plain sailing, though and practices 

are worried about a number of things 

including whether they can have access 

to staff testing which we are looking to 

support. 

Cheryl Newton 

Group Director of 

Nursing - Women 

and Child Health 

Children and families in our communities 

still require support, even more so with the 

requirements of self-isolation and social 

distancing. The formal and informal support 

networks for families with newborn, 

toddlers or school age children are now 

significantly reduced which can mean 

people need more support from us, not less. 

We are using various technology to give 

them access to our community children’s 

nursing team when they need us. 

We recognise that some of our families with 

increased vulnerabilities may still need face 

to face contact and this is being maintained 

where possible. We have developed 

business continuity plans across all of the 

children’s community services. Our staff 

groups are adopting a flexible approach to 

providing on-going support to our children 

and families. We are utilising technology 

to provide virtual appointments where 

appropriate and offering face to face 

contacts for those children who 

require it. 

The impact of self- isolation and social 

distancing on the emotional health and 

well-being of our communities remains 

to be seen. Our main aim is to help 

families continue to reach out to our 

services for support during this time and 

we want to ensure that the child’s voice 

is still heard as families deal with the 

extraordinary circumstances we all find 

ourselves. 

7

It's never been more important to 

clean, clean, clean 

COVID-19 

Do you know how to wash your 

hands the NHS way? 

Washing your hands is an essential part 

of infection, prevention and control. 

All colleagues must wash their hands 

or use hand sanitiser on entering and 

exiting clinical areas. Clinical colleagues 

are reminded of the five moments of 

handwashing: 

1. Before touching a patient 

2. Before clean/aseptic 

procedures 

3. After body fluid 

exposure/risk 

4. After touching a patient 

5. After touching patient 

surroundings. 

Washing your hands is one of the simplest 

ways you can protect yourself and others 

from illnesses. Washing your hands properly 

removes dirt, viruses and bacteria to stop 

them from spreading to other people and 

objects, which can spread illnesses. It can also 

help stop people from picking up infections 

and spreading them to others. 

As we all try to navigate life with the 

threat of COVID-19 we’ve highlighted 

some easy to follow steps to ensure 

your hands are squeaky clean. 

1. Wet your hands with water 

2. Apply enough soap or hand wash to 

cover your hands 

3. Rub your hands together 

4. Use one hand to rub the back of the 

other hand and clean in between the 

fingers. Do the same with the other 

hand 

5. Rub your hands together and clean in 

between your fingers 

You must wash your hands thoroughly for no 

less than 20 seconds each time 

6. Rub the back of your fingers against 

your palms 

7. Rub your thumb using your other 

hand. Do the same with the other 

thumb. 

8. Rub the tips of your fingers on the 

palm of your other hand. Do the 

same with other hand 

9. Rinse your hands with water 

10. Dry your hands completely with a 

disposable towel where possible 

11. Use the disposable towel to turn off 

the tap. 

Ward services officers on the frontline 

The unsung heroes of our Trust who 

continue working on the frontline 

helping our workplace stay one step 

ahead of COVID-19 are our army of 

ward services officers. Compassionate 

and dedicated, our ward services 

officers continue to battle with 

COVID-19 by keeping our sites clean 

and tidy. 

With their high standards of hygiene our 

ward services officers have taken on the 

challenge of ensuring that our wards and 

departments are spotlessly clean so that 

clinical colleagues can continue providing 

safe and effective care. 

To find out more about the work of the 

ward services team, Heartbeat caught up 

with Ward Service Officers (WSOs) Christine 

Jukes and Julie Brazier. Giving an insight in 

to the work of WSOs Christine said, “We 

owe it to all of the patients at our Trust to 

make sure that we have a clean hospital 

for them to come in to and likewise for 

colleagues to work in. COVID-19 has simply 

reminded us how important our role is in 

making sure that the virus does not have an 

opportunity to settle, transfer or take hold 

in our hospital. Every one of my colleagues 

understands that the role they play in 

the current situation really does have an 

impact.” 

Ward Services Officers Christine Jukes and Julie Brazier "in action" 

Echoing the words of her colleague, Julie 

said, “I’ve worked here for 20 years and 

it’s fair to say COVID-19 has been a bit of 

a wake up call for everyone. We're now 

more focused than ever on making sure 

every surface and touch point is spotlessly 

clean and kept clean throughout each day. 

COVID-19 is very easy to pass on through 

droplets and touch so our work is extremely 

important. 

“However, it’s not all mops, buckets and 

dusters. As WSOs we’re an extra set of eyes 

on the wards. Whilst we clean, we have 

an opportunity to interact with patients. 

When we get them a drink we have an 

opportunity to have a chat and gain an 

insight in to their health and wellbeing and 

more often than not they’ll tell us when 

they’re feeling well and when they’re not. 

We’re able to work with the rest of the 

ward team and get involved.” 

8

Supporting colleagues - swabbing 

for safety 

Our focus on keeping our colleagues 

safe has never been stronger than 

it is right now under the strain of 

COVID-19 and to support colleagues 

affected by the virus we have 

restarted our staff swabbing clinics. 

The commitment shown by colleagues 

delivering frontline care to patients has 

been amazing. As a Trust, we have a 

vital part to play in making sure that 

colleagues have access to healthcare 

and testing to ensure they can protect 

themselves, their families and the people 

around them. 

Colleagues who are symptomatic and 

self-isolating now have the opportunity 

to book into our COVID testing clinics. 

These are drive-in clinics that colleagues 

can book in to and then be tested from the 

comfort of their car. 

To find out more about the drive-in swab 

testing clinics, Heartbeat caught up with 

Practice Educator, Digital Lead Nurse and 

now staff swab tester Andrew Churm. He 

said: “We are doing community testing to 

support our colleagues who we appreciate 

are working in difficult environments 

such as accident and emergency and the 

acute medical unit. This type of testing 

means that staff can get back to work to 

help support their colleagues. We may be 

outside doing the swabbing in a car park 

COVID-19 

but we see it as being part of a wider 

team effort.” 

Andrew added: “The team are doing a 

fantastic job across our sites, they are 

pulling together and there is a good 

uptake from staff which we’re pleased 

about.” 

If you are symptomatic and you 

want to book into one of the clinics, 

simply call 0121 507 2664 and select 

option 5. 

Colleagues who are symptomatic can book an appointment at our COVID testing clinics 

9

When is working from home the 

right thing to do? 

COVID-19 

Doing what we can to reduce the 

risk of spreading the infection 

remains essential and we know that 

many colleagues have asked or been 

asked to work from home. Every 

employee is essential to this Trust 

and working from home does not 

mean that you are less important. 

The NHS is a team. 

With over 1800 roles in our organisation 

we can’t produce a list of everyone who 

should and shouldn’t be working at 

home so please consider the following 

guide: 

• If you work administratively, 

managerially or clinically in 

a patient facing area, we do not 

recommend that you work from 

home. 

• If you provide ancillary work, for 

example as a porter or driver, 

supporting patient care, including 

transporting samples or stock, we 

do not recommend that you work 

from home. 

• If you work in a corporate / 

backbone function, for example 

in finance, governance or HR, it 

may be possible for you to work 

from home. 

If you are able to work from home 

there are circumstances where we may 

ask you to return to site, and return to 

Some colleagues have asked or been asked to work from home 

undertake different work in support of the 

pandemic response. 

We cannot provide computer equipment for 

everyone working from home. Our priority 

is clinical areas for technology. But we have 

published on Connect simple guidance for 

how you can use technology which you can 

download to run or be part of meetings, 

and how you can potentially get access to 

drives and documents. 

If you wish to work from home and are 

covered by the bullet points above we 

would ask you to do four things: 

1) Talk to your line manager and 

discuss this with them. Their 

agreement is required. 

2) Send an email explaining your 

job role and the decision you 

and your manager have made to 

swbh.wfh@nhs.net. This will help 

us know who is away but well. 

3) Download the myConnect App onto 

your phone so you can keep up to 

date with our guidance and stay in 

touch with the Trust. 

4) Make sure it is clear on your Trust 

emails and Trust telephone extension 

answerphone that you are working 

from home due to COVID. 

Your role in supporting the social 

distancing and restrictions to travel are 

greatly appreciated and will help to 

slow down the spread of the virus. 

Changing your role and volunteering 

for the fight 

The Trust issued working from 

home guidance which expires on 

7 April. The main reason for that 

timeline was to make sure we had 

organised the technology to support 

the changes that have to happen. 

We wanted to make sure that key 

computing resources were not being 

deployed mainly for non-clinical 

work. Those arrangements are in 

hand. 

The other factor is our need to create 

groups of colleagues, allied to medical 

students and other volunteers, able to 

collaborate in key non-clinical tasks, many 

in patient facing areas. Bank and agency 

arrangements are not going to be sufficient 

to manage a sustained pandemic response. 

Sickness including isolation means we are 

working to a plan that assumes a 30%+ 

absence rates. 

Chief Executive, Toby Lewis, told Heartbeat 

about the intentions now; “This is a truly 

difficult and unprecedented situation. 

With this in mind we are doing two things: 

Finalising the list of where we need help. 

There are obvious priorities like cleaning and 

portering. But there are other things that 

can be done remotely. 

“And completing an analysis of all roles 

beyond the clinical space to work which 

have to be maintained and who therefore 

is potentially available for other work for 

a temporary period. Our preference is for 

corporate colleagues to volunteer into 

new roles, but ultimately there is likely to 

be an insistence process which kicks off 

before Easter. Of course anyone returning 

to site for these roles would have access to 

isolation accommodation, like our hotels, 

alongside those working in existing clinical 

teams.” 

10

Celebrating our 

stars of the week 

Star of the Week 

Tracy Weston 

Ward Sister 

Congratulations to Ward Sister, Tracy 

Weston who has gone above and 

beyond in supporting her colleagues to 

get to grips with Unity. 


Cath Price 

Labour Ward Manager 

Congratulations to Cath Price, Labour 

Ward Manager who has gone above 

and beyond in supporting colleagues to 

transition to her department. 

Cath was nominated for the weekly Star 

Award by her colleague Charlotte Duhig for 

Tracy Weston was nominated for the weekly 

accolade by Health Informatics Matron, 

Sharon Reynolds who was pleasantly 

surprised whilst supporting Tracy with some 

Unity training. 

Nominating Tracy for the award, Sharon 

wrote, “I have sat with Tracy today to 

complete her training on accessing live 

safety plan data. During the session we 

reviewed patients risk assessments and care 

plans. 

“Her staff clearly have a good 

understanding of Unity and the workflows 

as her patients all had care plans initiated 

and were being used to document nursing 

care. This is the first ward I have seen use 

the care plans in Unity really well.” 

the support she had given Charlotte as she 

began working on the labour ward. 

Nominating Cath for the award, Charlotte 

wrote, “I was very nervous and daunted 

about my new role as a band 7. Cath 

and the team on labour ward made 

the transition from working in low risk 

maternity care to high risk very smooth. 

“Cath took time every shift to make sure 

I was coping and ensure my learning was 

on track. The team on labour ward were 

so supportive and encouraging, giving 

me feedback and taking time to discuss 

problems I encountered. 

“Cath is a fabulous team manager with 

an open door policy. She always makes 

time to listen even though she has a 

large workload; she’s always smiling and 

constantly caring.” 

Well done Cath! 


Jessica Arnold 

Service Manager 

Congratulations are in order for Star 

of the week Jessica Arnold, Service 

Manager in the Mortuary Service. 

Jessica was nominated for the weekly 

award by Matron, Joanne Thomas, after 

supporting the ward with a rapid release. 

Nominating Jessica for the award, Joanne 

wrote, “Jessica helped support us with 

a rapid release from Priory 4, this was 

achieved within 40 minutes and was only 

achievable by the coordination of the ward 

and Jessica. However, not only was this 

an excellent achievement, following the 

rapid release – Jessica then spent time with 

a newly appointed band 7 explaining the 

procedure – teaching and giving the band 

7 eLearning sites and reading material to 

facilitate an out of hours rapid release. 

“During this teaching, the mortuary 

was very busy with doctors and patients 

being received, however the compassion 

and dedication to both patients, doctors 

and teaching all at the same time was 

commendable. She truly went the extra 

mile.” 

Well done Jessica! 


Fran D’Souza 

Advanced Physiotherapist 

Congratulations to Advanced 

Physiotherapist, Fran D’Souza who 

went above and beyond the call of the 

duty in supporting a frail and elderly 

patient to be discharged. 

Fran was nominated for the weekly award 

by her colleague Hannah Jenns. Nominating 

Fran for the award, she wrote, “Fran went 

the extra mile to ensure a frail, elderly 

patient was able to be discharged home as 

planned, equipment needs changed at the 

last minute and it wasn’t possible for what 

was needed to go in on time. Fran kept 

everyone involved in the loop and reassured 

everyone. She went out of her way to 

collect and deliver equipment and then 

check in on the patient the morning after 

discharge to ensure all went smoothly. 

“The patient involved was very pleased to 

be able to go home that day and it also 

prevented another unnecessary few days in 

hospital.” 

Well done Fran! 

Well done to all of our 

winners. Keep a look out for 

March's winners in the next 

edition of Heartbeat. 

11

Organ and tissue donation law 

is changing 

CORPORATE AND GENERAL 

NEWS 

12 

This month, guest writer, Dr 

Niroshini Karunasekara gives us an 

insight into the upcoming changes 

in the law around organ and tissue 

donation. 

In what is shaping up to be an 

unprecedented year for our NHS, 

there is a concern that the imminent 

introduction of the donor opt-out system 

in England may be overshadowed. 

The Organ Donation Act 2019 was 

passed by Parliament resulting in the 

planned implementation of an opt-out 

system. The change in the legislation 

applies to both organ and tissue 

donation. In real terms, it means that 

all patients will be considered to have 

consented to donation unless otherwise 

stated. 

When discussing this topic, it is 

important to distinguish between organ 

donation and tissue donation. Organ 

donation has strict criteria regarding 

who is eligible to donate and deals 

with organs such as lungs, heart, liver, 

kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. 

Tissue donation, on the other hand, 

includes heart valves, corneas, skin, bone 

and tendons and almost everyone is 

considered suitable. 

Although incorporated within the 

act, the subject of tissue donation 

will still need to be broached by 

medical professionals for the patient’s 

information to be passed onto the 

National Referral Centre (NRC). 

According to NRC data, tissue donation 

is a huge area that is still overlooked 

nationally. A reluctance to approach 

families near or after death means that 

many potential donors are missed, and 

tissues are not utilised. 

Unlike with organ donation, patients 

do not need to die in an emergency 

department or intensive care unit to 

donate tissue after death. Crucially, a 

donation must take place within 24 - 48 

hours of death. This means introducing 

the topic early to a patient’s family is 

vital. This will help to maximise the 

number of tissue donations in the UK. 

In 2011, NICE published guidelines 

aimed at improving donor identification 

and consent rates. Not only does this 

document recommend that all potential 

donors should be identified as early as 

possible, but also that donation should 

be considered as a usual part of end-oflife 

care. 

20 May 2020 is the date the organ and tissue donation law in the UK changes to opt-out 

We conducted a quality improvement project 

within our Trust that was designed to assess 

our compliance with these expected standards 

in post-bereavement care. Specifically, we 

looked at whether we are providing the 

next of kin with information regarding tissue 

donation. 

Information was collected from the 

bereavement book on each ward within the 

Trust, as well as both emergency departments 

from September 2018 to September 2019. 

We found that of the 586 entries assessed, 

only 6 entries (1 per cent) stated that tissue 

donation had been discussed with the next of 

kin. This discussion is vital to gain consent for 

the data to be passed onto the NRC allowing 

them to contact families. Common reasons 

why this may not be happening on the wards 

At SWBH these results have been presented 

at local meetings and several strategies 

have been initiated to raise awareness of 

tissue donation before the implementation 

of the new law. These include: 

• A series of educational sessions 

which have been delivered to 

various groups of healthcare 

professionals including doctors, 

ward staff and emergency 

department staff 

• A teaching programme for all 

professional development nurses 

within the Trust so that they can 

disseminate information and 

include; a lack of awareness about tissue 

donation, apprehension of broaching 

the subject, and, common cultural or 

religious misconceptions. 

These results reflect a similar picture 

across the UK. It is clear that without 

staff engagement, the Organ Donation 

Act 2019 will not be as effective as 

perhaps expected or hoped with regards 

to tissue donation. As 20 May 2020, 

the date for the new legislation rapidly 

approaches, staff must be aware of 

these changes and also educated and 

trained to identify potential donors, 

provide information to their next of 

kin in a sensitive way, and refer to the 

appropriate donation lead for their area. 

continually update the nurses on 

the wards 

• Assessing the feasibility of adding 

a mandatory section onto the 

patient’s electronic records to 

address organ and tissue donation. 

These strategies are in keeping with the 

principles and recommendations set out 

by The Organ Donation Taskforce, the UK 

Donation Ethics Committee and GMC 

guidelines. 

If you have any questions or 

queries, please feel free to email 

n.karunasekara@nhs.net to find 

out more.

GEMS – our valuable pieces 

of learning 


NEWS 

Any colleague can identify a learning GEM 

March saw the launch of our long 

awaited learning GEMS initiative to 

support colleagues to learn from 

our knowledge and experience for 

positive results. 

GEMS are part of the welearn programme 

and are valuable pieces of learning that 

have taken place. Heartbeat caught up 

with Claire Hubbard, Deputy Director of 

Governance, Knowledge and Learning who 

told us more. 

“We are really excited to launch the GEMS 

initiative as anyone within the organisation 

can take part regardless of their profession. 

Any colleague can identify a GEM from 

a variety of sources for example, audits, 

incidents, learning from excellence, 

complaints and observation.” 

Claire continued: “We know that an 

awful lot of learning happens across our 

workplace every day. GEMS will let us 

share this knowledge, across the whole 

Trust. We want to be an organisation 

that is curious. 

“And there are many benefits too. 

Colleagues from different services and 

groups will be able to see what others 

are doing as a result of their learning. 

Many similar issues in different areas, 

and accessing the GEMS store will let 

other colleagues see what has been 

introduced with success elsewhere. 

“By creating a culture where we share 

learning, we open ourselves up to being 

open to change. Doing this will bring 

benefits to patients, particularly around 

improving their experience of services.” 

Anyone can identify GEMS. Discuss 

these with you line manager, or at team 

or directorate meetings. Your Group 

will need to agree that learning has 

happened before a GEMS submission 

can be made. 

The application is available on 

Connect. Once complete, email to 

swbh.welearngems@nhs.net 

13

Putting the personal into PDRs 


NEWS 

It’s that time of the year where we’re 

all being asked to reflect on the past 

year and evaluate our performance. 

Our Aspiring to Excellence personal 

development reviews (PDRs) are 

conducted Trust-wide and everyone 

is required to have one completed by 

30 June. 

The appraisal process is your time to 

have an open conversation with your 

line manager and reflect on what went 

well, what could be done differently 

and, perhaps most importantly; it’s a 

chance for you to focus on your personal 

development. 

As part of your PDR, you can discuss 

your future aspirations and agree upon 

a personal development plan. There is a 

wide array of training, development and 

support available to all colleagues, at all 

levels, within our Trust. You may wish to 

consider anything from formal training 

and apprenticeships to shadowing, a 

secondment or getting involved in an 

Aspiring to Excellence PDR form 

upcoming project. 

During your PDR discussion, you will review 

your SMART objectives. If you are new to the 

organisation or your role, this is the time to 

agree upon these together with your manager. 

All objectives should be specific, measurable, 

achievable, realistic and timely. 

All PDRs will result in a performance score 

for the previous year, this score is from one 

– four and an aspiration score from A– D. 

Your discussion will follow the same format 

regardless of where you work. The PDR 

document has a clear format and will help 

to shape your discussion. You will have the 

chance to review your performance objectives, 

evidence your achievements and discuss how 

you’ve performed against our Trust promises. 

Be sure to prepare for your PDR. This is 

your chance to discuss your work and agree 

on a score that’s reflective of what you’ve 

contributed to your role, our patients' and the 

Trust over the past 12 months. 

When completing your PDR you must ensure 

that you are 100 per cent compliant with your 

mandatory training. It is essential that we are 

all safe at work and that patients are safe in 

our care. If you're not up to date with your 

mandatory training you’ll be unable to progress 

through your next pay increment. You will also 

be unable to achieve more than a performance 

level 2 on your PDR. To easily access your 

e-learning visit https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/ 

learning-development/mandatory-list/. 

If you are a line manager you need to 

complete a short PDR refresher training 

session before conducting PDRs. It will 

ensure you're up to date on any changes 

and also focus on the setting and writing 

of SMART objectives. This session can be 

booked via my learning on ESR. Should 

you have any queries or difficulties 

booking onto a session, please email 

swbh.landd@nhs.net 

City Hospital welcomes new cohort 

of students 

Our newest cohort of the University College Birmingham (UCB) students at their induction day at 

City Hospital 

At the start of the decade, City Hospital 

welcomed a new group of students to 

our Trust. 

The University College Birmingham (UCB) 

students have joined us for their five month 

placement which is part of their extended 

diploma in health and social care to help 

them attain their full qualification. 

“On passing the course, it will mean that 

the students will be able to gain entry into 

either university or higher education. Once 

they have finished the placement it will 

enable them to decide whether they want 

to specialise in areas such as adult, children’s 

nursing or midwifery,” said Janet Stokes, UCB 

Employability Tutor. 

The placements at City Hospital will give the 

students a fantastic opportunity to experience 

the care setting first hand which will be 

instrumental in their development as the 

majority of students have career aspirations 

of working in the clinical sector of the NHS 

in the future. 

Rachel Andrews, Senior Sister from the 

deteriorating patient and resuscitation team 

will be one of many colleagues supporting 

the UCB students whilst they’re at the Trust 

and believes it will be a fantastic learning 

experience for them. 

She said: “The students will gain first-hand 

experience on their five month placements, 

which will give them a real insight in to the 

day to day challenges within the hospital. 

The placements will be a real learning 

curve for the students but having already 

met them, I’m certain they will be a huge 

success and a real asset to the wards and 

departments they are attending, and 

organisation as a whole.” 

Good luck to all the students from the 

UCB who have started their placements 

at the Trust! 

14

Milestone merger becomes reality as 

Your Health Partnership joins Trust 

1 April marks a special date in our Trust 

as it’s when we officially welcome 

Your Health Partnership (YHP) to our 

organisation. Working as an additional 

directorate, it marks the start of a new 

phase for both our organisation and 

Your Health Partnership. 

Speaking to Heartbeat, Dr Simon Mitchell, 

Co-Executive Partner at YHP, said: “This is an 

exciting time for us. We have an incredible 

team and culture. We’re excited about 

working with, and as part of, the wider 

organisation. 

“We have created a successful business 

and we thrive on innovation. Working 

together, we will be able to help the most 

vulnerable in our society, the housebound, 

outpatients, and so many more people. Jointly 

we will be able to build resilience and bring 

greater improvements in healthcare to our local 

communities.” 

Primary Care Liaison Manager, Dottie Tipton, 

will be working ever closer with YHP as of 1 

April. She told us: “YHP joining our Trust is a 

truly special moment. It is a testament to their 

team, the rapidly scaling business they have 

created and their passion.” 

So, what will the move look like in reality? 

YHP partners and managers will continue to 

oversee the running of the practices within 

the directorate, whilst our Trust will have 

responsibility for delivering the contracts that 

the service currently holds. The YHP run Carters 

Green Medical Centre will move to the new 


NEWS 

£6 million development which is being 

built at our Sandwell Hospital site. 

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive said: “Whilst 

this is currently a challenging time for 

everyone with COVID-19 we can’t 

overlook YHP joining our Trust. We have 

worked together to get this merger just 

right, and we are pleased to welcome 

everyone into our organisation. We share 

a common vision and that is a solid basis 

for any new relationship. I am confident 

we will go from strength to strength 

together.” 

Your Health Partnership have joined the SWB family 

2020 - International Year of the Nurse and Midwife 

April 2020 - National Autism Month 

2 April Public Trust Board 

9.30am - 1pm, Webex 

5 April Palm Sunday 

9 April Maundy Thursday 

10 April Good Friday 

12 April Easter Sunday 

13 April Easter Monday 

16 April QIHD 

Afternoon, Trust-wide 

17 April Palm Sunday 

21 April Clinical Leadership Executive 

2pm - 5pm 

Post Graduate Centre, City Hospital 

22 April TeamTalk 

1pm - 2pm, Webex 

23 April St George’s Day 

World Book Night 

24 April Ramadan begins 

29 April Yom HaAtzmaut – 

Jewish holiday 

15


NEWS 

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. 

To – Zain Shah 

Zain is one of the Trust volunteers. Treats 

everyone with respect, is very pleasant, 

polite and very helpful. Great energy when 

up and down the corridor guiding people 

and engages so well with everyone. Will 

always ask how you are and always there 

with a smile on his face. Keep up the good 

work you absolutely brighten up my day 

and no doubt many others feel exactly the 

same way. 

From – Harpal Tiwana 

To – Paediatric Diabetic Team 

Well done to the Paediatric Diabetic Team 

who have the best results in the West 

Midlands for blood sugar control and 

better than the national average in the 

recent national audit. Keep up the good 

work and congratulations! 

From – Maria Atkinson 

To – Peter Smith 

A top nurse, always going well and beyond 

the call of duty to make sure patient 

transfers are done safely and efficiently. A 

true gem in AMU! 

From – Kenny Tingson 

To – Laura Morris 

An exceptionally dedicated, hardworking 

nurse. I am proud to call her my colleague 

and as a team we are lucky to have her. 

From – Sophie Fox 

To – Charlene Bennett 

Charlene always goes above and beyond 

to help us to co-ordinate CT scans around 

patient's out-patient appointments. She is 

always so helpful and friendly. 

From – Elizabeth Broome 

To – Charlotte Street 

Thank you for all the help and support you 

have given me for last pass few weeks. It is 

nice to know I can call or message you any 

time. Once again thank you! 

From – Joey Bhirth 

To – Kully Sidhu 

An exceptional team member! Highlighted 

as being caring and compassionate by 

doctors, nurses and patients. A true asset to 

the team and the respiratory hub! 

From – Jacqueline Moore 

To – Abiola Adesina and Emma Race 

We couldn't have got through a 

challenging shift without these fantastic 

health care assistants going the extra mile 

supporting staff nurses with safe rapid 

patient flow, whilst always providing the 

gold standard care required. 

From – Levie O'Gorman 

To – Sylvia Haywood 

Thanks for being a great manager from all 

of the admin team. 

From – Angela Jones 

To – Tiffany Jones 

One of the most amazing managers I have 

come across from the start of my nursing 

career (from my fist placement as a student 

nurse to present almost 4 years qualified). 

You are honestly doing an amazing job, 

the way you motivate your team, I've never 

worked anywhere were everyone is so 

happy to be at work. 

From – Vanessa Wright 

To – Claire Bingham 

Thank you Claire for all your help and 

support on tonight’s shift D17 - you are 

just fab! 

From – Charity Sibanda 

To – All the palliative HCAs and DET team 

working with the Palliative Care Hub 

A massive thank you to all of the HCAs 

and DET team for the wonderful care 

and support they provide to many of 

our patients at a very challenging and 

emotionally demanding time. They are 

always willing to help and go the extra 

mile, with a smile on their face and 

treat everyone with dignity, respect and 

compassion. We would be lost without you. 

From – Molly Casey 

To – Fit Testers 

Shout out for your kind support with a 

particularly difficult situation during the 

last hour of a palliative gentleman's life. 

Your compassion for our patients is a credit 

to you all. Thank you. 

From – Yvette Bayley 

To – Mandy Mason 

I would like to thank Mandy for coming to 

help out on neonatal when we was really 

busy. Mandy went out of her way to come 

and help from her own ward (M1) and help 

feed our babies, nothing was too much 

trouble. 

From – Sarah Shaw 

16

Mental health act administrator joins 

forces with our Trust 

Takesha Sam is helping colleagues to better understand the Mental Health Act 

With approximately one in four people 

in the UK experiencing a mental health 

problem each year, we continue as an 

organisation to place a significant focus 

on this as well as mental wellbeing. 

As mental health disorders can have a 

considerable impact on the health of 

individuals, we have a duty of care to 

ensure we are effectively managing patient 

care and treatment. 

Newly appointed Takesha Sam is a mental 

health act administrator working across our 

directorates. Takesha is taking the lead on 

ensuring we are meeting our obligations 

when dealing with patients with psychological 

disorders or mental ill-health. This in part 

involves following the correct procedures and 

completing accurate paperwork. 

Mental health awareness is another aspect 


NEWS 

of Takesha’s role. This will see her 

implementing processes to help 

colleagues better understand the Mental 

Health Act (MHA) and how to apply 

it. By managing the administration 

of the MHA, Takesha is working 

with individuals and teams to ensure 

compliance with the MHA, advising on 

legal requirements relating to detained 

patients such as the renewal of sections. 

Speaking to Heartbeat, Takesha said, 

“My focus is ensuring colleagues 

are aware of relevant legislation and 

processes. This could be anything 

from processing paperwork when a 

patient is detained, to ensuring we 

have the correct consent in place when 

treating patients. Currently, I’m creating 

flowcharts that will shortly be circulated 

to colleagues.” 

If you have any queries, please 

feel free to contact Takesha via 

t.sam@nhs.net. 

From HCA to nursing associate – 

the sky’s the limit for Jenni Meeson 

Within our organisation, there is a 

strong focus on personal development. 

With opportunities available to all 

colleagues, it’s something we’re 

passionate about. Whether you choose 

an apprenticeship, external learning 

or a degree level qualification, there’s 

something for everyone. 

Jenni Meeson has taken advantage of the 

learning opportunities available at our Trust. 

Having worked here for 15 years, for the 

most part, she's worked as a health care 

assistant (HCA). That all changed when she 

decided to take the next step in her career 

and become a nurse associate apprentice. 

She joined the programme almost two years 

ago and, it has been an invaluable learning 

experience for Jenni. 

The apprenticeship covers all four domains 

of nursing – adult, children’s, learning 

disabilities, plus mental health. Jenni has 

found this hugely informative and, it’s been 

enhanced by the clinical work placements 

she’s completed and, offsite learning at the 

University of Wolverhampton. 

Jenni Meeson, Nurse Associate Apprentice 

Speaking to Heartbeat Jenni explained, “I 

worked as a HCA in the community for 15 

years. Over that time I worked with a lot of 

different teams and developed transferable 

skills. That in part, helped me decide to 

become a nurse associate apprentice. It 

has given me the chance to build on what 

I already know and I can now do things I 

couldn’t do before such as compressions 

and drug rounds.” 

With just five months left of her 

apprenticeship, Jenni took a moment 

to reflect on her learning experience. “I 

complete 30 hours each week for my work 

placement and a day at university. I’ve had 

to do assignments, exams and presentations 

as part of my apprenticeship. Ultimately 

when I qualify I will gain a foundation 

degree as a nursing associate. It will be a 

proud moment.” 

She added, “I would encourage anyone 

interested in becoming a nurse associate to 

apply. Once you’ve qualified that’s just the 

beginning of your journey - it’s up to you 

where you progress to. I feel particularly 

grateful that the Trust has invested in this 

apprenticeship. I’m also pleased that when 

I qualify it will enable me to be a registered 

practitioner governed by the Nursing and 

Midwifery Council.” 

If you’d like to find out more about 

becoming a nurse associate apprentice, 

email zoetaylor1@nhs.net for some 

more information. 

17

My Friend Jen – A story about a girl 

who’s a little bit different 


NEWS 

Acclaimed sickle cell author, 

Jenica Leah recently launched her 

second book in the My Friend Jen 

series. Coinciding with World Book 

Day on 5 March, the launch held 

in Birmingham celebrated the 

release of her latest book called 

The Check Up. 

The inspirational story told by her friend 

follows Jen as she embarks upon a 

hospital visit for her sickle cell check-up. 

He introduces her by saying, “My friend 

Jen is as fun as can be. She wears her hair 

big and high for everyone to see.” 

Whilst this may be fiction, the story itself 

is rooted in fact. Jenica has sickle cell 

and is a patient of ours at City Hospital. 

Speaking exclusively to Heartbeat, she 

remarked, “City Hospital is where I have 

been cared for since I was a teenager. 

They have a dedicated sickle cell and 

thalassaemia centre that provides day 

care for patients, which I attend.” 

When talking about her motivation to 

create these books, Jenica said, “I’ve 

had sickle cell from birth and, I was in 

and out of hospital growing up. I didn't 

understand my condition, so I grew up in 

Jenica Leah with Eddie Edmead, Major Grants Manager, at the launch of the latest book in the My 

Friend Jen series. 

isolation, unable to explain what I had or how 

it affected me.” 

“Living with an invisible illness has led me to 

create my children’s book series, My Friend Jen. 

I want other children growing up with sickle 

cell to have the peace of mind growing up that 

I didn’t have. I pride myself on not letting my 

condition stop me achieving my goals. I want 

other children to grow up and have that same 

motivation.” 

Eddie Edmead, Major Grants Manager for Your 

Trust Charity, attended the book launch. 

He said, “It was great to catch up with Jen 

again. We have worked together before 

for the launch of her first book. This was a 

fantastic event that was well put together. 

It was great to see so many people there 

to support her and help raise awareness of 

sickle cell.” 

If you’d like to find out more about 

Jenica’s journey head on over to 

www.myfriendjen.co.uk. 

Friends and family – the true test of 

the patient experience 

The Friends and Family Test has been 

a staple in our workplace since its 

introduction in 2013. It is however 

changing to better meet the needs and 

challenges of our organisation and 

patient groups. 

The Friends and Family Test (FFT) is a 

quick and simple way for patients to give 

feedback about their experience. It is a 

continuous improvement tool that gives 

patients the opportunity to anonymously 

feedback to our Trust about their care and 

treatment. 

Friends and Family Tests provide a way 

to continuously track the experiences of 

patients across our organisation. This allows 

us to respond quickly and effectively should 

an issue become evident, and likewise, to 

celebrate any positive developments. 

Feedback can draw our attention to any 

immediate or specific issues, as well as 

identifying themes. Along with questions 

about the overall experience, we will also 

be asking patients whether we met their 

expectations and if there is anything else 

they can tell us. 

Individuals can still give feedback via SMS 

text message, interactive voice messages 

(IVM) or FFT postcards. The mandatory 

requirement to ask for feedback at specific 

times will be removed. This will enable 

patients to give feedback in real-time - 

allowing us to address any issues promptly. 

For more information about the 

changes to the Friends and Family 

Test, contact Shila Patel on ext 5188. 

Alternatively, please email 

shila.patel@nhs.net. 

Checklist 

• Ensure FFT posters and leaflets 

are visible in your area 

• Inform patients that they will be 

contacted for anonymous 

feedback, but there is an ‘opt out’ 

option should they wish to do so. 

• Return all completed postcards 

to Shila Patel, Bryan Knight Suite, 

Sandwell Hospital making sure 

your ward/department name is 

clearly written on each postcard. 

• Log on to the envoy portal 

weekly to view feedback/ 

comments received to identify 

themes or issues raised. Take 

action where you can to 

implement any quick wins and 

follow up with any other issues 

that may arise. 

18

Year of the Nurse and Midwife 

Each month we profile some of our wonderful nurses and midwives as 

part of our 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife celebrations. 

Read on to find out about the career pathway of FGM Specialist Midwife, 

Alison Byrne. 

She’s the caring midwife who 

victims of female genital 

mutilation (FGM) receive help 

from when they need treatment. 

Alison Byrne has been dedicated 

to the specialist FGM service 

since it was conceived in 2002 

to treat and care for pregnant 

women within the West 

Midlands. 

The mum-of-two joined Sandwell and 

West Birmingham NHS Trust two years 

ago to develop the service further within 

the area. Since joining she has led the 

opening of a new FGM clinic for nonpregnant 

women which will be run by 

our organisation. “I have worked within 

the FGM field for 18 years and still feel 

incredibly passionate about making a 

difference for the women who have 

undergone 

. 

the procedure,” said Alison, 

when speaking to Heartbeat. 

“For the pregnant women, it is mainly 

to create a positive birth experience and 

for non-pregnant women, it addresses 

any physical and psychological issues 

they may be enduring. I strive to ensure 

Alison Byrne 

FGM Specialist Midwife 

Alison Byrne - championing the rights of 

women and making a stand against FGM 

that women that come and see us have 

the highest standards of care, and I use 

a holistic approach to do this. I think it’s 

really important that when we are treating 

victims of FGM, we are compassionate 

and empathetic towards these women 

who have undergone such a horrific and 

unnecessary experience.” 

Alison runs regular clinics at City Hospital 

where women’s needs are assessed and 

identified. She then creates a care plan 

for them. The new FGM clinic, is based 

at Summerfield Primary Care Centre in 

Winson Green, and works on a similar basis. 

Speaking of the project, she said, “The 

launch of the FGM clinic was part of a pilot 

within NHS England. It makes it so much 

easier for women to access this service in 

a community setting through any referral 

pathway across the Midlands.” 

Alison has been recognised for her work, 

winning a Royal College of Midwives award 

for the service when it first opened. “My 

work has taken me to many meetings and 

led to various collaborations with national 

organisations which I enjoy immensely.” 

It’s no surprise to learn that it’s the 

continuation of this work with women and 

their families that drives Alison. “Within 

these communities that I care for, I have 

seen the most inspirational people with an 

incredible attitude to life,” she added. “I 

admire them greatly and am truly inspired 

by every one of them. They are my heroes.” 

19

Long service awards show dedicated 

NHS workers lead by example yet again 


NEWS 

In the last few weeks we have 

been reminded of how important 

the National Health Service is and 

how grateful we are to have it. 

Not just as colleagues within our 

organisation but as a nation. We 

are indeed very lucky to have the 

service we do, and our organisation 

is very lucky to have the dedicated 

colleagues it does. 

Across the country we've seen a very 

genuine outpouring of affection 

towards the NHS and its staff. Before 

the Coronavirus became a pandemic, 

we ourselves at Sandwell and West 

Birmingham took some time to 

acknowledge those who have dedicated 

themselves to helping the community as 

part of the NHS and as a part our Trust. 

In February our Chairman, Richard 

Samuda hosted our most recent NHS 

Service Recognition Ceremony, where 

he acknowledged the dedication of 

well almost 150 colleagues who have 

served the NHS dutifully for 20 years 

or more. These included more than 80 

Helen Whiles receives her award from Chairman, 

Richard Samuda 

staff hitting the two decade mark, with 50 at 

three decades whilst an astonishing 17 got to 

celebrate 40 years’ service as part of the NHS. 

Among the 17 includes Helen Whiles who 

has spent her career here. Working her way 

up from a student technician working in 

Stroke of good fortune at 

recruiting event 

the dispensaries, procurement and on the 

wards, all the way to Chief Technician for 

City Hospital - prior to the merging of the 

two hospital trusts at Sandwell and City. 

Emily Horwill spoke to Heartbeat about 

her friend, jokingly referred to within the 

management team as 'Aunty Helen' for her 

kind and caring nature to both staff and 

patients. 

"I have only known Helen for two years 

since joining the organisation and Helen 

has been really welcoming to me from my 

first day. She is currently embracing her 

new role as chief technician for medicines 

optimisation and can regularly be found on 

the wards liaising with ward staff about our 

Pyxis, Unity and Abloy systems to make sure 

we’re getting the best from them. 

"She always enthusiastically takes on board 

and participates in change within the 

department and has a brilliant work ethic 

- and her memory of the organisation is a 

brilliant resource. Not to mention a source 

of many stories and tall tales! We're very, 

very lucky to have her." 

Many congratulations Helen and to all 

our celebrated colleagues at 20, 30 and 

40 years. 

MEDICINE AND EMERGENCY 

CARE 

Valentine’s Day was a busy one for 

everyone at our organisation – but 

not all the action took place at the 

site of the Midland Metropolitan 

University Hospital. 

At the same time as our relaunch event 

at Midland Met, back over at Sandwell 

Hospital, members of our existing nursing 

team were welcoming people who may 

one day be a part of the team that works 

at our “super-hospital.” 

Members of the stroke services team 

were on hand to speak to prospective 

candidates as part of the Trust’s latest 

recruitment day. The event aimed to fill a 

number of roles across a team which has 

Members of the stroke services team 

an expansive development plan for 2020; as it 

reorganises and further develops the services 

it offers. One such project is the new SWAT 

team - thankfully not an armed response unit, 

but rather the newly formed stroke wellbeing 

activity team operating out of Sandwell. 

Over the course of the day, a number 

of the team spoke to nurses, students 

and HCAs that were interested in either 

applying for roles, or finding out more 

about the service. They also provided lots 

of information about flexible working 

practices, what the team does and its 

plans for the future. 

“I’m delighted to say we made a number 

of offers over the course of the day and 

are adding four band 5, nurses, to our 

amazing stroke services team”, Lead 

Stroke and Neurology Matron, Jo Thomas 

told Heartbeat. “Going forward we know 

there’s a lot of work to do. We have 

several projects that we look forward to 

working on over the year. It’s our goal 

to make the service and its staff the very 

best - this is just the first step towards 

achieving that.” 

20

Conference shares methods to 

improve dignity in care 

Our medicine and emergency group 

played host to a dignity in care 

conference back in February. 

The conference had over 120 delegates in 

attendance from both clinical and nonclinical 

backgrounds including nurses, 

midwives, portering and security. 

Julie Thompson, Group Director of 

Nursing for Medicine and Emergency 

Care helped facilitate the all-day event 

at our Sandwell Education Centre. The 

aim of the session was to share methods 

to help improve dignity in care across 

the organisation. Presenters at the event 

included Dr Moe Thaw Oo, Consultant 

Geriatrician and Physician, as well as 

Helen Mallard, Lead Nurse. 

Dr Oo believes that we must ensure that 

dignity in care is equally applied and 

consistent for all patients, in particular, 

our elderly and more vulnerable patients 

He said: “We face many challenges with 

our more senior patients, such as more 

complex needs and even language barriers. 

Even with these challenges, we must ensure 

we offer consistency in care and make sure 

the dignity of our patients is at the forefront 

of our minds. This will ensure they receive 

the best possible care from us.” 

Helen and her team have applied the ABCD 

model in our emergency department (ED) 

in regards to dignity in the care they offer. 

This method focuses on attitude, behaviour, 

compassion and dialogue. She said, “Every 

patient that attends ED deserves the same 

standards of care. I always encourage 

everyone to really think about behaviours 

and gestures as this can easily impact on a 

patient’s experience, especially in ED. 

She went on to say, “Compassion and 

dialogue are equally important. This is why 

we think that one of the quick wins to this 

is caring, showing empathy and simply 

treating others how you would wish to be 

treated.” 

Following on from the success of the 


CARE 

event, the Trust has seen well over 

200 people sign up to become 

dignity ambassadors. “I have been 

overwhelmed with the positive 

response after the dignity in care 

event. It’s amazing to have so many 

dignity ambassadors from a variety of 

multi-disciplinary teams,” said Julie. 

She added, “A dignity ambassador is 

someone that upholds the standards 

for dignity which is treating people 

with respect. This involves being a 

patient advocate and feeding back 

within our dignity forums. To have 

such a large number of people in 

these types of roles will mean that our 

patients will be treated with kindness, 

respect and compassion. It will 

ultimately result in better care.” 

AMU kicks off journey to be #proud 

During one week in February 

colleagues from acute medicine at 

City and Sandwell were given the 

opportunity to share their views and 

tell each other why they are #proud to 

be part of the team. 

The initiative was part of an ongoing 

programme to improve morale and 

engagement among colleagues. 

Senior Sister, Claire Obiakor told Heartbeat: 

“The event was the result of some work we 

have been doing in the AMU improvement 

group. It was aimed at helping colleagues 

to understand their roles and responsibilities 

and how each member of staff contributes 

to the overall objectives of the department. 

“The team thought a week-long event 

where colleagues could pop in would help 

create the right environment for colleagues 

to find out more about their roles and 

responsibilities, ask questions, and more 

importantly give us feedback about changes 

that could be made to improve colleague 

and patient welfare. 

“We were thrilled with the engagement 

across the two sites. We had colleagues 

from Sandwell managing stalls at City and 

vice versa. It was excellent cross site team 

working. Food and drink was also provided 

which is always a nice treat for everyone.” 

The AMU improvement group are now 

reviewing the feedback and identifying 

quick wins so that colleagues can start to 

see improvements immediately. 

“Any major change will be gradual,” 

added Claire. “One common theme was 

resourcing - we are currently recruiting 

but it will take time for new people to 

be in post. Communication was another 

theme – however I think the team will 

see a marked difference already. Certainly 

the #proud event was the start of making 

improvements to the way we communicate. 

Colleagues in AMU share their reasons for being #proud 

“We plan to ensure that we continue with 

these events so colleagues can continue to 

feel confident that they can have a say and 

contribute to the direction of our team. 

“And as we prepare for the Midland Met, 

we are offering cross site secondments 

for Band 6 colleagues and all new starters 

will be expected to rotate across City and 

Sandwell. It is a very exciting time ahead 

and our aim is to ensure everyone is happy 

at work which is essential for the team’s 

overall health and wellbeing. If the team are 

happy, our patients will be happy.” 

21

Mouth care pilot leads to magic in 

every smile 


CARE 

Patients across four wards at City 

and Sandwell hospitals have been 

all smiles during the pilot of a new 

campaign to improve the oral health 

of inpatients. 

In January colleagues working on D11 

D26, Priory 4 and Newton 4 started the 

Mouth Care Matters trial. This involved 

them receiving specific training and 

equipment to carry out effective mouth 

care on patients. 

Colleagues have been ensuring that every 

patient cleans their teeth/dentures at 

least twice a day and those with complex 

mouth care needs are assisted with more 

frequent care. 

Heartbeat caught up with Julie Thompson, 

Director of Nursing, Medicine and 

Emergency Care who told us more. 

“Mouth Care Matters is a guide seeking to 

improve the oral health of inpatients. Poor 

oral health of a hospitalised patient can 

result in an increase in hospital-acquired 

infections, namely hospital and ventilator 

acquired pneumonia, as well as poorer 

nutrition. This can result in an increase 

in the length of stay and care costs, 

alongside poorer quality of life and dignity 

for patients. 

“This pilot focuses on reducing the rates 

of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). 

Evidence shows a clear link between a 

Staff Nurse, Rachel Paintin with some of the oral 

care products 

good individualised mouth care regime and the 

reduction in the development of HAP.” 

Colleagues have welcomed and supported 

the trial. Practice Development Nurse, Grace 

Omoleye told Heartbeat: “It’s important 

for patients to feel whole and to not feel 

uncomfortable about their mouths when visitors 

come. 

“The products that we use keep the mouth and 

gums moist so prevent sores and infections. I 

really like the lip gloss for that reason. Some 

patients need to have their teeth cleaned 

whilst using the suctioning tool. This is so good 

because you use one tool that brushes, cleans 

and suctions the debris away at the same time.” 

Grace continued, “The products are single-use 

only and are specially packaged so they can 

stay by the patient’s bedside and not a risk from 

an infection prevention perspective. It means 

that they are easily to hand when you need 

to perform mouth care as part of the patient’s 

routine. Mouth care really does matter for our 

patients and we should all be helping them to 

have healthy mouths.” 

Since the project started, visitors have 

commented on the improvement of their 

loved ones mouth condition. 

One family member (a dentist) explained how 

his mother had a stark contrast of attitude 

towards mouth care while she had been in 

hospital on two different occasions. He said, 

“My mother was admitted to a different 

hospital a few years ago. A few days after she 

was admitted, I noticed that her teeth had not 

been cleaned and the condition of her mouth 

had deteriorated significantly. Despite raising 

these concerns with staff, I had to buy several 

oral products and come into the hospital 

twice a day to clean her teeth and mouth. 

“I was shocked that mouth care was not 

automatic and didn’t form part of a daily 

general hygiene routine. Mouth care is 

important because if my mum has poor oral 

care then she won’t be able to eat well and 

then can’t get well. 

“The first thing I noticed when mum was 

admitted to Priory 4 was the mouth care 

posters promoting the use of the products 

with an appropriate care plan. I felt confident 

that my mum would receive a good level of 

care as a result.” 

The results from HAP and other data will be 

analysed during April and recommendations 

and learnings will be shared with the 

executive team. The plan is to roll out the 

programme across the organisation. 

Six weeks into the trial rates of HAP 

remained lower than the mean rate and all 

the pilot wards have at least halved their 

incidence of HAP. Average length of stay 

has reduced from 18 to 11 days. 

Sarah Peyton: Over 33 years of success 

Sarah Peyton, Acute Medicine Nurse 

Practitioner will be retiring from the 

Trust after dedicating over three 

decades to the Trust and hospital care. 

Sarah first began her journey at our Trust 

in 1987. Over years she gradually built up 

her career to become a ward sister which 

was shortly followed by her promotion to 

an acute medicine nurse practitioner in 

July 2007. 

Sarah has played an instrumental role 

alongside Dr Sarb Clare, Consultant 

Physician in Acute Medicine in setting 

up a GP area which then changed to 

the AMAA (acute medicine ambulatory 

assessment) in 2014. As a result, Sarah, 

Sarb and the rest of the team went on be 

awarded the International Award from the 

Society of Acute Medicine for their work 

in AMAA. 

Sarah Peyton celebrates her three decade 

career at the Trust 

Reflecting on her career, she remarked, 

“What I’m most proud of is my day-to-day 

work on the medical wards and working in 

AMAA. The job has changed over time, but I 

feel I have adapted to the changes whilst still 

being able to offer the best quality of care to 

our patients.” 

Sarb believes Sarah has played a vital 

role at the Trust and in particular AMAA. 

She said, “Sarah has left a legacy for the 

organisation from developing and leading 

on nurse-led weekend discharges to 

being pivotal in developing and making 

ambulatory care a success. Her work has 

been invaluable and endless for both 

patients and colleagues. 

“She is well-known by generations of both 

nurses and doctors and has supported 

many young doctors over the years. Sarah 

is loved by everyone.” 

Upon retirement Sarah is planning to visit 

Africa as well as a Caribbean cruise with 

her family. She also hopes to visit Nepal 

again as she sponsors a little girl to go to 

school there. 

Thank you for your hard work at the 

Trust Sarah – happy retirement! 

22

Poo is no longer a taboo thanks 

to service 

It’s normally a taboo subject saved 

for discussions with your doctor or 

your most trusted friend or even 

keeping it entirely to yourself 

for fear of embarrassment. Not 

any more - the FINCH (Faecal 

INcontinence and Constipation 

Healthcare) team are bringing the 

embarrassing subject of poo into 

the open – highlighting the issue on 

national airwaves. 

Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist, Kelly 

Stackhouse and her team were the 

focus of the Radio 4 programme Inside 

Health interviewed by Trust Me I’m a 

Doctor presenter, Dr Saleyha Ahsan. 

The programme is known for discussing 

health issues which people struggle to 

understand and faecal incontinence 

(also known as bowel function) is 

certainly one of those topics. 

The service is for patients who have 

functional bowel disorders, which 

means the organ doesn’t work 

properly, leading to problems such 

as constipation, needing to rush to 

the toilet, losing control of the bowel 

following surgery in that area. 

Kelly explained, “The FINCH service 

wants to break the taboo around poo. 

Receiving this national coverage is very 

important as it will alert people to this 

vital service and raise awareness that 

there are different treatments available. 

We are here to help those who are 

experiencing real problems. Some of 

them will refuse or be unable to leave the 

house because it has gotten so bad. Many 

of our patients have told us how it really has 

changed their lives for the better being under 

the care of our service.” 

Set up a little over 10 years ago, the team 

initially comprised of just Kelly and one 

consultant Miss Kathryn Gill. Kelly had 

worked as a colorectal nurse at the Trust. 

She explained, “Miss Gill wanted to set up a 

service, so we did this together, with one of 

the main focuses being on anterior resection 

syndrome. 

Fast forward to 2020, and the service has 

won a number of accolades. It comprises of 

three extra nursing team members and two 

more colorectal consultants. In 2019 it had 

500 referrals, compared to just 170 in its first 

year. 

“We hold clinics every day and patients from 

all over the country visit us,” Kelly added. 

One such patient is Lara Simms. The 21-yearold 

student started suffering from terrible 

constipation two years ago and was only able 

to pass a stool once every three weeks. 

Lara’s story was featured on the Radio 4 

programme. She told the presenter: “It 

transpired that I had ‘slow bowel’ and it 

had come on all of a sudden. I found myself 

suffering from terrible stomach pain and I 

was constantly in and out of the hospital in 

Brighton where I'm a student. Doctors were 

baffled as to what was wrong with me.” 

Eventually, she received a diagnosis but 

medics unfamiliar with the condition were 

unable to treat the problem effectively. “I was 

SURGICAL SERVICES 

on 15 to 20 laxatives a day and looked 

so bloated. I couldn’t go out because I 

knew I would need to use the toilet so 

much,” she said. Lara visited her family 

home frequently and on one occasion 

she was admitted to Sandwell Hospital 

and referred to the FINCH team. 

Kelly discussed Lara's condition with 

her colleagues at the multi-disciplinary 

team meeting. She was told about the 

antegrade continence enema (ACE) 

procedure – an operation designed to 

help with emptying the bowel. It allows 

the patient to self-administer enemas 

into the large bowel after a hole is 

made in the appendix. Lara became 

the first patient at our Trust to have 

this procedure, performed by Mr Raj 

Peravali. 

Lara added: “Since having this 

operation my life has changed 

drastically for the better. I am able to 

carry on with my studies, go out and 

see my friends, go shopping without 

having to worry about where the 

nearest toilet it. I have the FINCH team 

to thank for this.” 

To contact the FINCH team email 

swb-tr.SWBH-GM-FINCH@nhs.net. 

To listen to the full interview on 

Radio 4 go to https://www.bbc. 

co.uk/programmes/m000gbft 

Trust Me I’m a Doctor presenter Dr Saleyha Ahsan (far right) with Raj Peravali, Colorectal Consultant Surgeon, and nurses from the FINCH team Liz 

Clarson (second left) and Kelly Stackhouse (third left). The team were interviewed for the Radio 4 programme Inside Health which was aired on 10 March. 

23

National campaign to bust myth 

around eye drops 

SURGICAL SERVICES 

Some of our clinicians have featured 

in a hard-hitting campaign to 

highlight the importance of glaucoma 

patients taking eye drops during 

Ramadan. 

This campaign organised by the International 

Glaucoma Association (IGA) created a mythbusting 

video that features a number of 

clinicians from the Birmingham and Midland 

Eye Centre (BMEC). It highlights how 

Muslims using eye drops during Ramadan 

will not break their fast as the medication 

does not count as food or drink. 

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions in 

which the main nerve to the eye (the optic 

nerve) is damaged where it leaves the back 

of the eye. As it becomes damaged, vision is 

lost, usually starting around the edge of the 

field of vision known as peripheral vision. 

There are no early symptoms of glaucoma, 

so up to 40 per cent of the peripheral vision 

can be lost without an individual noticing. 

Abdul-Jabbar Ghauri, Consultant 

Ophthalmologist with Head of Patient Support 

Services, International Glaucoma Association 

The most common treatment for glaucoma is to 

take eye drops. Depending on the type of eye 

drops, these may need to be taken every day and 

sometimes two or three times a day. 

Mr Abdul-Jabbar Ghauri, Consultant 

Ophthalmologist, said, “Eye drops should be taken 

throughout the month. According to most legal 

schools, the medication is not considered to break 

the fast, even if traces of taste or colour reach the 

back of the throat. For those people who aren’t 

convinced and can still taste the drop, they can 

try punctal occlusion. Most scholars would agree 

that eye drops do not count as food or drink. Islam 

forbids any act which is harmful to an individual. 

All Muslims should take care of their bodies, 

entrusted to them by God. 

“It is really important that we get the message 

out there that taking eye drops, or any 

medication for long-term illnesses is vital. Eye 

drops need to be taken every day in a range 

of eye conditions, including glaucoma and 

inflammatory eye disease. Even stopping the 

drops for a short time can cause permanent 

damage to a person’s vision and they may not 

notice any damage until their next check-up and 

field test. 

“We know Ramadan can be a busy time, so we 

recommend that patients leave their drops in a 

prominent place, such as by their toothbrush. 

Putting a reminder on a phone is also a good 

way to remember to take them.” 

As well as Mr Ghauri, other BMEC colleagues 

in the video include Emadur Khan, Specialist 

Optometrist, Andrew Castle, Specialist 

Orthoptist, Stephen Khaw, Senior Pharmacist 

and Iyad Ibrahim, Nurse Practitioner. 

Birmingham Central Mosque’s Imam, 

Mohammad Asad, and Joanna Bradley, Head of 

Patient Support Services for IGA also feature. 

New group to support myeloma 

patients 

Not so uncommon, but often diagnosed 

late, myeloma is an incurable but 

treatable form of blood cancer found in 

the bone marrow. It impacts thousands 

of people across the UK and accounts 

for 15 per cent of all blood cancers. 

A newly formed support group will soon be 

launching to support myeloma patients. The 

Midland Metropolitan Myeloma Support 

Group (MMMSG) officially launches on 22 

April. It will provide a broad array of support 

ranging from patient and carer information, 

living with myeloma and treatment options 

to name but a few things. 

The inaugural meeting will take place at 

the education centre at Sandwell Hospital. 

Patron, Dr Farooq Wandroo, Haematology 

Consultant commented, “MMMSG is a new 

myeloma patient support group established 

with the help of registered charity Myeloma 

UK. Over the years, we have been feeling 

an unmet need to have something in place 

to support myeloma patients and their 

carers when they are newly diagnosed or 

post-chemotherapy. 

“It’s essential that there is support available 

to share information, experiences and 

Members of the Midland Metropolitan 

Myeloma Support Group committee 

expert advice. Information plays a vital role 

in helping individuals come to terms with 

a myeloma diagnosis and understanding 

treatment options. Over 17, 000 people 

in the UK have myeloma and, though the 

disease remains incurable, the majority of 

patients now live a pronged life with current 

treatments. 

“This group consists of several patients 

and carers who are very enthusiastic about 

meeting and supporting each other. Doctors 

and nurses will support the group by 

providing advice on treatments available, 

management of pain, toxicities and 

measures to help myeloma patients live 

life to the fullest. The group will also 

help spread awareness about myeloma 

and promote early diagnosis to help 

prevent complications. It will also be 

working closely the Trust’s cancer 

services team.” 

Jane Ogleby, Macmillan Haematology 

CNS said: “We’re looking forward to 

the launch of the MMMSG; it will offer 

a great way for patients and family 

members to meet in an informal and 

welcoming setting. It will provide 

those living with myeloma lots of 

useful resources and access to trained 

professionals. It will also offer specialist 

support to help individuals deal with 

everything from their diagnosis through 

to more practical tips on how to 

navigate life with myeloma. As well as 

this individuals will benefit from support 

from each other as well as carers.” 

If you’d like to find out any 

more information, please email 

jane.ogleby@nhs.net. 

24

Inside the mortuary – taking care of 

our patients right to the end 

Jessica Arnold, Mortuary Service Manager is one of five colleagues who perform post-mortems at 

our Trust 

When many of us think of a mortuary 

we are filled with dread and fear often 

imagining what it must be like to be 

surrounded by death. However, when 

you meet our colleagues who work 

in the mortuary at City and Sandwell 

it is somewhat reassuring to see that 

the mortuary is a calm, even homely 

looking place aimed at making loved 

ones feel at ease during the most 

difficult time of their lives. 

Heartbeat caught up with our Mortuary 

Service Manager, Jessica Arnold who told 

us more. “People often have 

misconceptions about the mortuary and 

what we do – our aim is simple – patient 

care. We look after patients who have 

passed away and ensure they are taken care 

of until they leave for a burial or cremation. 

We can deal with very emotive cases 

but the team are here because they are 

compassionate and caring.” 

We asked Jessica to explain the flow of a 

patient leaving the ward and going into the 

care of the mortuary. 

She said: “When our patients are brought 

down by portering colleagues, part of our 

role is to check their paperwork is in order. 

We check that the patient has the correct 

ID and that all their personal belongings are 

accounted for. Patients are also measured as 

part of the requirement for the undertakers 

who require the measurements in order 

to prepare the coffins. There is a beautiful 

handwritten register where we write the 

patient’s name, date of death and the name 

of the undertaker. The information is also 

recorded electronically.” 

Five technicians make up the team in the 

mortuary who all take part in undertaking 

post mortems. Jessica explained that not all 

patients have a post mortem and it depends 

on whether the cause of death is known. 

“Post mortems are usually carried out if a 

patient dies unexpectedly,” said Jessica. “The 

process is meant to piece the puzzle of how 

someone died. Our coroner’s jurisdiction has 

access to a digital autopsy which is situated 

at Sandwell crematorium; it is a scanner that 

helps to ascertain the cause of death limiting 

the need for invasive procedures. In some 

cases the scan can be inconclusive so we have 

to carry out a full invasive post mortem. 

“As technicians we remove all the organs in 

preparation of dissection and examination by 

the pathologist. This can sometimes result in 

further examination where blood and urine is 

collected for further testing in the lab. Once 

it is clear how a patient has died, the coroner 

can issue the necessary paperwork for a 

funeral to take place.” 

It’s hard to imagine what it must be like 

having to deal with patients who have lost 

their lives and their families. 

Kulwinder Johal, Clinical Directorate Lead has 

recently taken on the overall management of 

the mortuary. She said: “Dealing with people 

in a bereaved status is very challenging. I am 

in awe of how the team take care of our 

patients as well as manage the expectations 

of loved ones. 

PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES 

AND THERAPIES 

“They often have to have sensitive 

conversations with families to prepare 

them about what to expect when they 

see their loved one.” 

Jessica added: “We are not a funeral 

home so we are limited as to what we 

can do to prepare patients for viewing. 

But we do ensure that hair is brushed 

or combed and that the eyes and 

mouth are shut. The aim is to give the 

impression that the patient is sleeping 

so we lay them on a viewing trolley that 

looks like a bed.” 

Kulwinder aims to raise awareness of 

the mortuary service and the amazing 

work they do. “I don’t think colleagues 

around the organisation fully understand 

the work and skill that goes into caring 

for deceased patients,” she said. “We 

have just gone through a Human Tissues 

Authority (HTA) inspection and there 

is a lot of structure and accountability 

required to run a mortuary service. 

“We have worked together with our 

colleagues including clinical nurse 

practitioners, bereavement support 

midwives and ward managers as part 

of a stakeholder group involved with 

the deceased to achieve the standards 

of the HTA and deliver a coordinated 

approach to the way we care for 

deceased patients. 

“Together we work to ensure patients 

are laid to rest quicker and we also 

provide training particularly for the rapid 

release process. The rapid release process 

ensures that a death certificate is signed 

on the ward at the time of death (if 

cause is known). A signed form is issued 

to the family who will give authority for 

the body to be released. The patient is 

then escorted to the mortuary by a ward 

colleague and handed over straight to 

the undertaker. When done right, rapid 

release can take up to four hours and is 

a great comfort for families as they can 

lay their loved ones to rest.” 

Jessica commented: “Part of the work of 

the stakeholder group is also to ensure 

families are supported throughout the 

process and where necessary direct 

them to services that provide financial 

support.” 

If you would like further information 

or training please contact Jessica on 

jessica.arnold3@nhs.net 

25

Gynaecology celebrates first birthday! 

WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH 

Our Sandwell based gynaecology 

team celebrated their first birthday in 

February. 

The celebration represented a year since 

the department moved from Alpha Suite 

to clinic 6A which is a part of the main 

outpatients’ area at Sandwell Hospital. The 

gynaecology unit specialise is addressing, 

correcting and easing any gynaecological 

issues our female patients experience. 

For some of our patient's gynaecological 

issues can have a catastrophic effect on 

their daily life. With this in mind, the team 

help patients to rectify these complex 

issues. 

“Thanks to the move we have been 

able to increase our capacity. It is an 

exciting time for further growth. We 

are working hard to modernise one 

service, in particular, to offer a one-stop 

clinical experience for women with postmenopausal 

bleeding,” said Tiffany Jones, 

Sister. 

In addition, the gynaecology team have 

also been able to commit to achieving 

faster treatment times for women that 

receive an endometrial (womb lining) 

cancer diagnosis. 

Charlotte Gordan, HCA in gynaecology kindly 

made the first birthday cake 

The special birthday event was attended by 

colleagues who work within gynaecology, 

including Dr Abha Sinha, Consultant 

Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, CD. Dr Sinha 

believes the success of the move has been 

down to all the colleagues who work within 

the team. Tiffany has proven instrumental to 

the department, as have her core team made 

up of Vanessa Wright, Sara Greenaway, Jean 

Whitehouse, Tracey Law, Jenny Oliver, Charlotte 

Gordon, Donna Francis, Julie Hill and Cynthia 

Daly. 

The team also benefits from being supported 

in times of pressure by Paula Bryan and her 

team from gynaecology outpatients’ in the 

Birmingham Treatment Centre. She said, “I 

have to express my huge admiration for Tiffany 

for her leadership skills, as well as her clinical 

and interpersonal skills in leading an amazing 

team. She has worked incredibly hard over 

the past 12 months to get the unit staffed 

with the best HCA team. She’s also trained 

and supported them to develop into band 3-4 

roles.” 

Raffaela Goodby, Director of People and 

Organisation Development has been a patient 

and has participated in multiple board visits 

to the department. A real advocate of the 

team and the work they do, she said, “Not 

many patients can say that their gynaecology 

visits are like visiting a spa. I can say that my 

experience as a patient and as a colleague has 

been zen from start to finish! 

“Tiffany and the team calmly and simply 

explain very intimate procedures and give you 

assurance and honesty at a very worrying 

time. When I had treatment last year to 

have pre-cancerous cells removed, the team 

explained what was happening and I didn’t 

feel embarrassed or ill at ease once. That’s an 

achievement considering the intimacy of the 

situation." 

She added, “I want to offer my thanks to 

the team for all they do for patients, and for 

having that person-centred approach I know 

they offer to each patient. Thank you for 

being so open about women’s reproductive 

health, for openly talking about the 

importance of smear tests, and for looking 

after the gynaecological health of Sandwell 

and West Birmingham with such composure.” 

Baby Gibson first to benefit from 

patient generosity 

Two-day-old, Kade Gibson was 

keen to show off his latest knitwear 

thanks to the kindness of former 

patient, Julita Dirsaite. 

Julita was in our maternity department 

two and a half years ago and after the 

fantastic care she received whilst at the 

Trust, she made the decision she wanted 

to give back to the nurses and midwives 

at the hospital. 

Being an enthusiastic knitter and the 

drive to help others, Julita decided she 

wanted to knit clothes for one of our 

most vulnerable group of patients and 

those just starting out in life, premature 

babies. Items included tiny knitted 

converse boots, ballerina shoes, flower 

blankets and bonnets. As well as knitting 

for the little babies, she also knitted 

a few accessories for our midwives 

including pen pots to store stationary as 

Baby Kady Gibson shows off his new knitted 

gear 

gifts for their continued hard work in the 

department. 

Claire Cushing, M2 Ward Manager is one of 

many colleagues to get a gift from Julita and 

believes the donations from her will really 

help our patients. 

She said: “We were overwhelmed with 

the donations from Julita and very much 

appreciate them all in our department. All 

the clothes, booties and blankets that have 

been knitted will really benefit the babies in 

maternity and their parents.” 

Amanda Winwood, Fundraising Manager at 

Your Trust Charity facilitated the knitwear for 

maternity and echoes Claire’s views. 

She said: “Unfortunately we have many 

mums who struggle to get hold of clothing 

for their premature babies, but by having 

our community support us in making such 

beautiful gifts and giving their time allows 

us to support our patients in the very early 

days. Julita’s gifts tie in perfectly with it being 

Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020, and 

showing how appreciated they are.” 

Angela Jane Gibson, mum of Kade Gibson 

was thankful for the donation and said, “It 

was really kind of the charity and hospital 

to provide Kade with a set of knitwear and 

booties when he was born.” 

She added: “I must say a massive thank you 

to both as well as a special thanks to Julita 

for knitting them.” 

26

Safer Sleep Week to help prevent 

unexpected deaths of little ones 

Early March marked Safer Sleep Week 

an annual campaign spearheaded by 

The Lullaby Trust, whose vision is to 

reduce and prevent where possible the 

unexpected deaths of babies and young 

children. 

The Lullaby Trust actively fund research into 

both the causes and prevention of sudden 

infant death syndrome (SIDS). They also 

provide support to parents and engage with 

medical professionals to help promote child 

health. 

With approximately 700,000 babies born 

every year in the UK, the focus of this year’s 

campaign was to provide practical tips to 

help new parents survive sleep deprivation. 

The Safer Sleep Week campaign was 

enthusiastically embraced by our 

community maternity team. The team 

shared tips to equip parents with the 

knowledge to establish safe sleep routines. 

This included having a Moses basket set 

up to demonstrate both the correct and 

incorrect way to put a baby to sleep. The 

team were also on hand to answer any 

Michelle Defreitas from the community midwives 

team held sessions with new parents during 

Safer Sleep Week 

questions and, they had a display of posters 

and leaflets available too. 

Speaking to Heartbeat, Dionne Mullings, 

Community Team Manager said, “We’re 

passionate supporters of Safer Sleep Week. 

We aimed to reach all of our new parents 

with some key messages to help to reduce the 

risk of SIDS occurring. Sleep deprivation can 

WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH 

be hard for new parents to adjust to, but 

we’re here to help. We have a vast array 

of experience on the team and, between 

us we wanted to reinforce the message 

that it’s important to establish safer sleep 

routines early on.” 

Safer sleeping – things you can do 

• Always place your baby on their 

back to sleep 

• Keep your baby smoke free during 

pregnancy and after birth 

• Breastfeed your baby 

• Place your baby to sleep in a 

separate cot or Moses basket in 

the same room as you for the first 

six months 

• Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress 

in good condition. 

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 Communications Team on 

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

27

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? 

No, it’s a CT scanner 

IMAGING 

This month the imaging team at 

City Hospital played host to an army 

of high-vis clad engineers from 

Siemens Healthineers who delivered 

the newest addition to the imaging 

department at the Birmingham 

Treatment Centre (BTC), the new 

computerised tomography (CT) 

scanner. 

Amongst the beeping fanfare of a crane, 

engineers carefully peeled away the side 

wall of the BTC, constructed a reinforced 

platform and gently lifted, manoeuvred 

and landed the huge scanner onto the 

first floor to then be delicately pushed to 

its new home in the imaging department. 

CT scanners are innovative scanners 

that create cross sectional images of the 

body by rotating an x-ray machine round 

the body and then use a computer to 

reconstruct the multiple images into a 

single three-dimensional image that lets 

doctors look inside the body. Commonly, 

CT scanners diagnose infections, fractures 

and muscle disorders, as well as helping 

to pinpoint masses and tumours. They 

are sometimes even used to help guide 

surgical procedures and biopsies. 

To find out more about the scanner, 

Heartbeat caught up with Phil Spencer, 

Superintendent Radiographer and CT 

Lead at our Trust. He said, “The newest 

scanner we have had delivered is now the 

fifth CT scanner we have at our disposal. 

We have two at Sandwell and three at 

City. This gives us plenty of resources offer 

imaging support at short notice, as well 

as resilience, should one of the scanners 

need to be repaired.” 

The newest addition to the imaging team’s 

arsenal 

Trust bowel-ed over by national 

cancer audit results 

The National Bowel Cancer Audit 

publishes results about the care 

and outcomes of patients with 

bowel cancer in England and Wales. 

Commissioned by the Healthcare 

Quality Improvement Partnership as 

part of the National Clinical Audit 

and Patient Outcomes Programme, 

this quality improvement programme 

has been running for several years. 

It is delivered jointly by the Clinical 

Effectiveness Unit at the Royal College 

of Surgeons of England, NHS Digital, 

and the Association of Coloproctology 

of Great Britain and Ireland. 

Each year, a report is produced for trusts 

in England and multidisciplinary teams in 

Wales. Our most recent results published 

for 2017-2018 show that we included 

more patients than expected and we 

performed positively in several areas. 

Mr Torrance, Colorectal Consultant 

remarked, “Our data collection is 

significantly better than it has been in 

the past and that has allowed us to share 

that we are performing above average 

compared to our local peers and nationally 

in most measures. We stood out in the rate 

of major surgery performed in potentially 

curative patients. Whilst the national score 

was 86 per cent, we scored 92 per cent 

– 6 per cent above the national average. 

We also perform significantly more cases 

through keyhole surgery compared to 

the rest of the country, with 89 per cent 

attempted through keyhole surgery 

compared to 69 per cent nationally. When 

we combined this with our enhanced 

recovery programme supported by our 

anaesthetic colleagues, ward staff and 

clinical nurse specialist team, we have 

helped nearly half of patients go home 

within 5 days of major surgery compared to 

the national average of just over a third of 

patients.” 

When discussing how we’ve achieved 

these results, Dr Torrance commented, 

“We have invested in our data and 

wanted to show just how well we’re 

performing as a Trust. We now have 

a dedicated person responsible for 

managing our data. Tahira Sani from our 

cancer services team has done a great job 

at collating all of our data and allowing us 

to show just how well we’re performing, 

both regionally and nationally.” 

Speaking to Heartbeat, Tahira 

commented, “I have taken on the task of 

compiling our clinical data. This involves 

collating data from lots of different 

sources including systems and meeting 

notes. I was pleased to see how well we 

performed as a Trust in comparison to 

others locally and nationally.” 

28

This month we say hello to Liam 

Kennedy. As you’ll likely know, Liam 

isn’t new to our Trust; however, he has 

recently moved from being our deputy 

chief operating officer to become our 

chief operating officer (COO). 

Having started his career as a science 

teacher, Liam joined the NHS nine 

years ago as part of the NHS graduate 

management training scheme. Reflecting 

on his decision to join this scheme, Liam 

remarked, “This was a defining career 

moment for me. I developed the skills 

to help me lead different functions and 

teams across several trusts. I have worked 

in project management, accounting and 

transformation positions, as well as a 

group manager in medicine, surgery and 

community services.” 

Liam completed a six-month placement 

with Monitor; a regulatory body that 

was responsible for ensuring healthcare 

provision in NHS England was financially 

effective. As well as this, he has completed 

a management accounting qualification 

via the Chartered Institute of Management 

Accountants and a PgCert in healthcare 

leadership and management. 

Liam Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer 

You may be surprised to learn that Liam has 

not always worked in healthcare. Before 

joining the NHS, Liam had a varied career. 

Aside from being a teacher, he also worked 

as a celebrity account manager and revealed 

that Peter Andre was the most famous 

person he ever booked for an event. 

Looking to the future as our COO, Liam has 

Liam Kennedy 

Chief Operating Officer 

some key areas of interest he’ll be focusing 

on. “Digital implementation into the NHS 

is a passion of mine. So far, I’ve worked 

across the Unity project and introduced 

digital dictation. I’ll be working closely with 

teams to ensure we’re giving our clinical 

colleagues the tools they need to deliver the 

best patient care. Digital transformation will 

help us offer a more efficient and patientfocused 

service. 

“I’ll be looking at improving our urgent care 

standards and working with all directorates 

to ensure they have the data, skills and 

resources to deliver service improvements. 

As well as this, I’m keen to look at 

preventative measures to ensure we’re 

having early interactions with patients. We 

have lots of resources available to help them 

lead healthier lives.” 

Outside of work Liam enjoys keeping fit. 

This year he had planned an Ironman 

triathlon in Copenhagen that involves 

swimming, running and doing a bike ride 

all in support of Your Trust Charity. Excited 

about taking on the challenge, he said, “It’s 

going to be a test of endurance. I’ve started 

my training and go swimming before work. 

I’m looking forward to doing something 

that will directly give back to our Trust.” 

Wave goodbye to… 

Lis Hesk 

Matron – gynaecology and gynae oncology 

This month we bid adieu to Lis Hesk, 

Matron in gynaecology and gynae 

oncology. Having started her career in 

1982 in Leicester, Lis has had a long and 

varied career in nursing. In 1988, she 

completed her midwifery training at 

Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London 

and has never looked back. 

Speaking to Heartbeat about her career, 

she said, “I have always been a nurse, 

I cannot imagine doing anything else. I 

started my training in 1982 before most of 

my staff were born! I have always worked 

in women’s health – it’s an area I feel 

incredibly passionate about.” 

Lis joined our Trust in 2012 as matron of 

gynaecology and gynae oncology. Over 

the years she’s had a number of career 

highlights including the implementation of 

Unity. Looking back on it she said, “This 

was a massive project that affected each 

member of the team. We had fantastic 

support within gynaecology; the team really 

Lis Hesk 

embraced the electronic patient record and 

it has had such a positive impact on the 

care we deliver.” 

Danielle Joseph, Deputy Group Director 

of Operations commented, “Lis is an 

exceptional nurse and leader. I’ve worked 

with her for some time now and have a 

huge amount of respect for her. Lis is caring 

and patient focused - something you need 

to be within gynae and gynae oncology. 

She is most definitely a team player, 

collaborative and always up for a challenge. 

Lis has been a pleasure to work with and 

we are all going to miss her greatly.” 

Looking ahead to the future Lis is planning 

on spending time with her family and 

friends. “I’ve not taken a day off sick 

since 1989 - I’ve never wanted to let my 

colleagues down. I will definitely enjoy 

some quality time with my loved ones when 

I retire.” 

Thank you for your hard work and 

dedication, Lis. 

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 

Cleaning concerns at Trinity 

House 

Dear Heartbeat, 

Can you tell me why Trinity House 

has had there cleaning cut down 

to two days a week, Monday and 

Friday. It has been months since 

the offices have been vacuumed or 

floors cleaned, and now we have to 

go three days without the toilets or 

kitchens being cleaned. 

Trinity House as a lot visitors and 

would hate to think what they will 

think if rubbish is piled high. Come 

the summer we will have a smell 

from rubbish lying around for days. 

All I can say is that you would not 

leave your toilet/kitchen at home 

without cleaning it every day. I hope 

the Trust will take action on this 

as I believe that this low level of 

cleaning will lead to more people 

being of sick because of lack of basic 

cleaning. 

Regards, 

Anon 

Dear colleague, 

Cleaning arrangements at the 

Trust have changed. We are 

moving more of our cleaning 

time into our patient facing 

and clinical areas. And we 

are reducing expenditure in 

non-clinical areas by just over 

£100,000 a year. 

The schedules for cleaning have 

changed. What does this mean 

for you? 

• Just like before we need 

your help to make sure that 

communal areas, kitchens 

and toilets are usable and 

civilised. In simple terms if you 

create some “mess” please clean 

it up. If there are a real mess, 

maybe because someone has 

an accident, then that can be 

reported. 

• From now on, if your bin only 

fills up once a week it will be 

emptied by the WSO team. But 

if you want it emptied more 

regularly, please use one of the 

provided bin bags and drop 

off your bag into the large 

bins outside our entrances on 

your way home. Do not pile up 

bin bags outside offices or in 

communal areas. 

There are separate Trust wide 

comms on waste and recycling, 

and making sure we use the right 

bins for the right things, and fold 

cardboard into central storage 

areas. If you have not had chance to 

read through that, take a look on 

Connect. 

Working together we want to make 

working here a great experience. 

By moving around the money we 

have we are trying to invest in the 

right things, like more support for 

staff wellbeing, mental health, 

and exercise, as well as important 

changes for our environment, 

improving our gardens and tackling 

climate change. We hope you can 

support the changes made by doing 

your bit. The changes apply Trustwide 

in non-clinical areas – and that 

does include HQ and the “executive 

corridors”! 

Kind regards 

Toby Lewis 

Chief Executive 

Why am I being redeployed? 

Dear Heartbeat, 

I am being redeployed. I was told this 

in front of a colleague. Why have I 

been chosen? Surely there are risks for 

patients in moving people around from 

clinics to wards. Is it legal to do this and 

how can I be sure I won’t lose my PIN 

number? 

Very worried RGN 

Dear colleague, 

Thank you for your letter. I 

completely understand your 

concern at a time of both rumour 

and anxiety. We are going to have 

to re-deploy lots of colleagues and 

even those not moved in the first 

phase in April and May may be 

needed in the second phase in June. 

You will get some training but 

should only practice within your 

competence. You will get a new line 

manager and a buddy. And we will 

work with you once you start. 

I must apologise you were spoken 

to in front of someone else. Our 

standard is really clear - private 

conversations, an opportunity 

to raise concerns and to suggest 

reasonable adjustments. We need to 

work with you, and remember this 

is “a marathon not a sprint”. Get in 

touch if you remain concerned. 

Kind regards 

Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse 

30

Toby writes about… management by 

walking about 

TobyLewis_SWBH 

TOBY’S LAST WORD 

I have written eight COVID Updates 

@SWBHnhs. So far. I suspect there 

are more to come. 

Each time I am humbled by responses 

wishing me well, giving me advice, 

asking me questions, and reflecting the 

variety of individual experience we have 

as we face this pandemic together. 

The situation is moving fast. But 

it is also moving predictably. All of 

us tend to see our own situation as 

unique, but in truth Iran, Italy, Wuhan 

and Madrid all give us clues to what 

is ahead, as do Germany and South 

Korea. So, this is a chance to use 

evidence and learn lessons. That is true 

for governments, hospitals, countries 

and individuals. Thank you to those 

contributing their time to research trials 

and their wisdom to our ethics and 

advisory group. 

Now, here’s my point: There are plans, 

and revised plans, and plans to get 

plans - all the usual paraphernalia of 

management and large organisational 

systems. 

So what matters? Well obviously as 

many other articles in Heartbeat point 

out what matters is our patients, 

their loved ones, our colleagues and 

those we care most about. So the 

leadership task is not in truth measured 

in command centres, capacity or even 

PPE. Each of those things is vital. But 

none of those things will succeed 

unless we do something else – 

communicate better than we ever 

have, or ever have had to, before. 

I don’t mean send canny emails or 

film videos. I mean each person who 

leads, which might be someone who 

manages someone, or someone who 

inspires others as a peer, finding time 

with colleagues to make sense of what 

is going on. Where do you fit in? You 

might feel like a bystander, far from 

ED or ITU. You might feel exhausted, 

plunged into workforce models across 

AMU and our red wards that seemed 

impossible days ago. You might have 

exhaustion and exhilaration as you rush 

from one event to another webex. 

In all circumstances the challenge is to 

hear other’s confusion gently. To explain 

why choices have been made, carefully. 

To place our effort in the regional 

context, alongside the work of care home 

workers, police officers, PHL staff at 

Heartlands, and our peers at New Cross 

and across the Black Country. At the 

same time, the profound challenge must 

not cloak poor management practice. 

No amount of explaining makes sense 

of visor shortages. No amount of best 

intentions gives comfort at the death of 

someone we were unable to save. 

This article is about management by 

walking about. Tough when you can’t 

go everywhere! And when as a manager 

there is much you don’t know. Always 

easier to communicate certainty and talk 

about stuff you know. But now faced 

with a worldwide emergency is exactly 

when those people whose job, and career 

choice, is to coach other people, need 

to be forward about sharing what truths 

you know. Explain how the role of our 

ward service officers fit in. Explain who 

can work from home and why we need 

some people to move to hotels. Above all 

find a bit of space to hear what has 

been understood among the very 

many people we work with who 

do not access email or log onto the 

Connect system. An authentic voice 

who has tried to find PPE at 8.15pm 

on a Saturday night or has had to 

cancel a clinic of patients matters 

very much. You are just as much part 

of a frontline effort, alongside our 

bank office, and our porters. 

So if you are not sure how to 

contribute, or you are a manager 

and are free for a while to wander, 

let me ask you to find teams, 

explain again what you think 

everyone already knows, and 

give people some of your time to 

hear how folk feel. Our common 

purpose is all too obvious. We are 

facing a viral pandemic, where your 

care and attention for your own 

health, directly impacts my chance of 

survival. But we are each individuals 

and on different days we fear and 

face this challenge differently. So 

I need everyone who manages 

anyone to take just a little more time 

to work with our colleagues and 

make sure that we really are fighting 

this as one team. 

QUICK COVID-19 QUIZ – CAN YOU GET ALL 7 RIGHT? 

• How many seconds should you wash your hands for each time you do? 

• Which GP practices locally are the two local Hot COVID Primary 

Care Centres? 

• Which two surgical services have relocated from City to Sandwell to help 

us cope? 

• What is a blue ward? 

• Can you get free taxis with your hotel booking, yes or no? 

• How far apart should you be when socially distancing? 

• What’s the one word that we want to sum up our COVID-19 

response as Trust? 

There could be a prize. Email your seven to tobylewis@nhs.net and we’ll 

let you know. 

31

Charity launches fundraising 

campaign for Midland Met 

YOUR TRUST CHARITY 

hospital. It’s not just about caring for our 

community - it is about including them.” 

@SWBHCharity To donate 

to the Your Trust Charity text 

“SWBH16 £5” to 70070 

Your Trust Charity has officially 

launched a £2 million campaign 

to raise funds for the Midland 

Metropolitan University Hospital 

(MMUH). 

The campaign, called We Are 

Metropolitan, was launched in March. 

All of the cash raised will have one thing 

in common - it will positively impact the 

patient experience by funding research 

nurses, pharmacists and community 

spaces at the new facility. 

The state-of-the-art hospital will open 

in 2022 and boast the busiest accident 

and emergency department in Europe, 

serving 700,000 people across Sandwell 

and West Birmingham. Richard Samuda, 

our Chairman, said, “Besides our drive to 

make sure MMUH delivers the best care 

Guests received a special We Are Metropolitan 

brochure on arrival at the launch event as a 

memento. 

possible, our charitable appeal for funding 

enables the Trust to develop in parallel, 

important community outreach activities 

and research relevant to our patients'. We 

see this as key to making this more than 

a hospital build project. For us, it’s about 

contributing to the wider improvement in 

public health outcomes. 

“We want to ensure that those using our 

new hospital not only receive the best care 

possible, but also that their entire journey 

is seamless. We believe that by funding 

play areas for our young patients, creating 

a beautiful garden where people can sit 

and reflect, and hiring research nurses who 

will help to find treatment and cures for 

illnesses, we can help achieve this.” 

Mr Samuda went on to say, “The thinking 

behind the We Are Metropolitan campaign 

is to reflect that everyone within Sandwell 

and West Birmingham is part of this 

The local community and businesses 

across the region are being encouraged 

to support the campaign by donating to 

the fund by hosting events. Thrill-seekers 

can even take part in a bungee jump onsite 

in September. 

Paul Faulkner, Chief Executive of the 

Greater Birmingham Chamber of 

Commerce, is also Co-Chair for the 

campaign’s Business Committee. He 

said, “I am delighted to support this 

worthwhile campaign and would 

encourage the business community 

to get involved. The scale, ambition 

and impact of the hospital will be truly 

transformational for our region. We 

need the help of our local community to 

get to two million pounds by 2022. We 

want to make it more than a hospital, 

but that can only be achieved if we raise 

these vital funds." 

To help with the fundraising 

campaign contact Your Trust 

Charity on extension 5196, or email 

midlandmet@nhs.net. 

You can also make an online 

donation at https://donorbox.org/ 

your-trust-charity. 


NHS Trust 

WE ARE 

METROPOLITAN 

March 2020 staff lottery results 

1st £188.75 

Lyndsey Hemsley 

2nd £113.25 

Usha Sund 

3rd £75.50 

Beverley Manners 

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 March 2020

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