Updates
Update, 20 March
Published: 20 March 2020
Reporting absence procedure
In order to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on staffing and to ensure continuous service delivery, all divisions and corporate areas are required to report absences for all staff.
For more information, please visit:
Key workers identified
The government has published a list of key workers whose children can still go to school if they cannot be looked after at home. These workers' jobs are considered "critical" for the response to the pandemic.
The list has been separated into eight categories, including frontline health workers and social care staff, nursery and teaching staff and those involved in food production and delivery.
We are treating all Trust employees as key workers. Our Trust is a provider of healthcare services critical to the COVID-19 response and we consider each of our employees to be a critical worker as referred to in the Government’s guidance for schools, colleges and local authorities on maintaining educational provision.
It also includes the police, those in key public services, transport workers and critical staff in financial services and utilities.
Urgent skills survey for non-training grade doctors
Can all non-training grade doctors please complete the skills survey as a matter of urgency.
This survey is absolutely essential for the Trust to assess the skills our doctors currently have and to plan how we can best utilise these during the current pandemic.
Site lockdown: staff ward access
The wards across all sites will now operate on an unscheduled access basis. Staff that already have access to a ward area will still be able to gain entry to their wards using their permits.
Any staff who do not have access will need to use the intercom for entry until their access is granted.
Any members of staff requiring access should request this from Monday to Friday through the local estates receptions at Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals.
We anticipate this process could take up to two hours.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) staff should fill in an application form at the link below:
For any queries contact:
Email: John.Yates-Harb@engie.com
Email: Security.Administrator.uk@engie.com
Staff have access to the Heritage Building at QEHB 24/7 by using their Trust swipe to activate the main entrance door.
The West entrance is now closed for entry but can be exited by staff.
For security and infection control and prevention purposes it is important that staff are aware of tailgating and only permit entry to wards and other areas to staff who display their Trust ID.
Pharmacy: please follow national guidance
We are aware that Consultants are increasing supply of prescriptions which is against national guidance. This is starting to have an impact on the Pharmacy which is in danger of running out of medication.
Please maintain normal supply durations to ensure we do not create a shortage.
Offers flood in from businesses
Staff should not deal with businesses directly. For information about how to pass on offers from businesses, please see:
Support with your shopping
M&S today announced it will give NHS and emergency service workers the first hour of every Tuesday and Friday morning to buy their essentials. Just bring along your NHS badge.
Tesco has also offered support and has set aside a special shopping hour this Sunday (22 March 2020) specifically for NHS staff. In stores across the UK this Sunday, those eligible will be invited to browse an hour before traditional shop opening.
It’s part of a range of measures the store has introduced to try and stop panic-buying and ensure there is enough food for everybody left on the shelves.
Remember to take your NHS badge.
Samples and swabs
Please do not send respiratory samples and viral swabs for suspected coronavirus patients through the pneumatic tube/specimen delivery system (SDS) at QEHB.
They must be taken down by a porter in the appropriate packaging as per "testing and sampling".
This misuse of the tubes is causing delays to the generation of the results for patients and our staff treating those patients.
Please see the testing protocol for advice:
Abnormal laboratory results
Due to increasing demands on everyone's time, Clinical Laboratory Services will attempt to telephone abnormal results a maximum of three times.
The results will be available to view electronically from the moment they are technically validated so that patient care will not be compromised.
We hope this will free up phone lines in all areas.