COVID-19 Update 11Ongoing practical helpFor today’s end of week communication, I want to ensure we send out very practical help for you to continue to run services and provide care. I want to update you on our Service Status list, which we keep updated regularly. I want to clarify some myths – for example, we continue to recruit to posts in the Trust. I want to ensure staff know the situations in which to use PPE, which we have ample stocks of but which continue to be a very precious resource. I also have details on how to access the equipment that you need to work remotely if you don’t already have it. I also want to inform you that yesterday we had three positive cases of COVID-19 on one of our inpatient Wards – Ward 7. I would like to personally thank the ward team, including the Ward Manager, Jayne Underwood, for the exemplary way in which the situation was and continues to be managed. The professionalism and care that has been shown should be recognised. We’ve made sure the ward has all the resources they need to care for the patients safely and I’m pleased to say that at present the patients concerned have only mild symptoms. I will continue to update you on situations like this as the weeks move by, as I recognise it is important that staff have clear, accurate and timely information on the situation in our Trust. As a senior team, our overriding aim continues to be ensuring that you, our staff, and our service users are kept as safe as possible and have everything you need to enable you to do your jobs safely and effectively. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with your line manager or service manager or if you wish to pose a question about our COVID-19 preparations directly to the incident control room, please use covid.questions@combined.nhs.uk. We aim to reply to all queries in 24 hours. So, as above, today’s update includes:
Jonathan O'Brien - Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive Service Status We have made no changes at present to the service status list which we published last week. This can be found here. This may change as things move forward and as our staffing situation changes over the coming weeks. We will keep you informed as soon as any decisions are made on further changes to how services are operating. Thank you, once again, for your work to continue to support the service you work in at the present time. Recruitment The Coronavirus challenge is bigger than anything most of us will have faced in our working lives. From guidance to support, from advice to assistance, from recruitment to retention – the Workforce Team are here to help you and your teams to rise to the challenge. To help them and you do so, we have created a new Coronavirus Workforce Hub on CAT. The Workforce Team includes: Recruitment Team, HR Advisory/Ops Team, Medical Staffing Team, HRIS/ESR Team and Workforce Business Partner Team. We are pleased to confirm that all functions within the Workforce Team are continuing to operate, albeit in a remote capacity. During this time, the team are fully available to provide support and guidance and our contact details are outlined below. In order to do our bit, we are wherever possible working offline and using Microsoft Teams for any digital meetings and chats. Many of are our teams are experiencing a high volume of calls and emails and we are prioritising activity focused on the Trust’s Business Continuity Management processes. If you do require urgent advice and guidance then please contact the team via the contact numbers on the Hub.. This Wokforce Hub also includes a number of Frequently Asked Questions, guidance and templates and is updated on a regular basis. For members of staff and managers requiring general non-urgent, workforce related advice and guidance please review the resources on the main CAT HR Page (click here) and policies section (click here) . If support is required, the team will aim to get back to you within 48 hours. How the Recruitment Team will operate during the Coronavirus period In the latest version of the Service Status update, the Recruitment Team has been confirmed as a Non Essential Service, therefore in line with the current advice and guidelines the team will be working remotely. How the Recruitment Team will operate to continue to support you:
Personal Protective Equipment As I have informed staff, we have ample stocks of PPE and have been able to support partners over recent days, where we have been aware their stocks have run out and their staff may have been at risk. It would be unthinkable for us not to look after not only our staff but those of our partner organisations and I’m pleased Combined could help. We currently have significant stocks of surgical and FFP3 face masks, aprons and gloves. We have lower stocks of alcohol hand gel bottles and gowns, so please use these only when needed and if possible use the wall mounted dispensers for hand rub. We have maintained the eight spoke sites stocked with PPE for all staff to access. These are:
There is a very helpful infographic on when to use PPE and which type to use. You can download a copy for yourself by right-clicking on the image. I have also had queries on how to put on and take off PPE correctly. Public Health England has produced detailed guidance on how to do this. This guidance covers both the donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) of personal protective equipment (PPE) for non-aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) and guidance on donning and doffing PPE for aerosol generating procedures I want to ensure our staff feel safe at the present time and if you don’t feel you have access to the correct equipment, you must raise this. Please review the above links first, as they follow current PHE guidance and are really helpful summaries. There is no reason for anyone not to have the equipment you need to do your jobs safely and effectively. Digital Update Our Director of Partnerships and Digital, Chris Bird, has been working to ensure the Trust has access to what we need to do our jobs effectively and implement remote working. We’re aware the network has come under significant strain over recent days as the number of people working remotely has increased. However, new servers and connections have been installed over recent days and the situation should improve. The Trust has now taken delivery of the majority of the 400 new laptops and 165 mobile phones we have ordered. We have asked each Directorate, through their Associate Director, to compile a list of staff requirements and prioritise these so we can get these out to you as soon as we can. If you do not have the equipment you need to work remotely, please ensure you line manager or service manager is informed and this is fed up the Directorate structures, so we can get you the equipment you need as soon as possible. Have a great weekend all and well done. |