Updates
Update, 24 March
Published: 24 March 2020
PPE: further guidance
Please be advised that the Infection Prevention and Control team will continue to work with your wards/departments to bring you the latest PPE guidance.
Please visit the link below for videos, posters and documents:
Car parking
From Wednesday 1 April we will temporarily suspend car parking charges for all staff who currently pay for a car parking permit across the Trust.
For those staff, who usually use public transport, don’t have a Trust car park permit, and wish to drive to work, we are endeavouring to release as many extra spaces on site as possible, while ensuring that we provide enough capacity for our patients and visitors.
From tomorrow, Wednesday 25 March, we will be able to release a 100 spaces at Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals.
For full details, please visit the page below:
Catering
In light of the current situation with COVID-19 the Facilities team has introduced new catering options that will launch on Wednesday 25 March.
These measures have been introduced after careful consideration of the social distancing guidance, infection prevention measures and the importance of looking after the wellbeing of our staff and patients.
For information on these changes visit the page below:
Shuttle bus service changes
With effect from today, the shuttle bus service to Regent Court will be reduced to a half hourly service.
The bus will operate at quarter past the hour and quarter to the hour from Regent Court and on the hour and half past the hour from QEHB.
The last bus from Regent Court back to QEHB will be 16:15.
Should anybody wish to travel after this time, they will need to book by contacting:
Tel: ext: 12505
National Express West Midlands service changes - reminder
Starting from the first service tomorrow, Wednesday 25 March, National Express West Midlands will be running reduced services on some bus routes.
No bus routes are being taken off, they will just be running some of them less often.
On all routes, the times of first buses will be the same or within a few minutes of current times. On all routes, there will be no change to the timings of the last bus.
Sunday services will remain as they are now. Any National Express West Midlands all-night bus services will continue to operate.
Staff can find more information on the National Express West Midlands website including updated timetabling:
PHE virology advice
The virology department at PHE Birmingham Public Health Laboratory is aware that it is sometimes difficult for clinical staff colleagues to get through to us on the phone in these busy times.
We have therefore allocated a single point of contact mobile phone for all COVID-19 queries during normal working hours (09:00–17:00, Monday – Friday):
Tel: 07779551218
Please note this is for clinical use only and should not be given to patients. Patient queries cannot be taken in the laboratory and patients should be directed to NHS 111.
Your query will be directed to the most appropriate member of staff within the laboratory/clinical service. If the line is engaged, please leave a message including a direct dial phone number for you to get a call back.
Out-of-hours contact details remain as before:
Laboratory (Saturday-Sunday 08:00-16:00):
Tel: 0121 424 3111
Duty virologist (via the Heartlands Hospital switchboard):
Tel 0121 424 2000 and ask for the duty virologist
Please do not phone for results. Positive results are telephoned to the requester as soon as they are available, and negative results are reported electronically also as soon as available.
Levofloxacin (oral formulations) supply disruption
There is currently a supply disruption of the oral formulations of levofloxacin (tablets), with both the 250mg and 500mg strengths being affected.
Prescribers are advised to use moxifloxacin in place of levofloxacin where appropriate.
For patients treated for Community Acquired Pneumonia use CURB65 score to risk stratify patients according to the appropriate antibiotic regimen recommended in the Trust guidelines.
Read the full memorandum available in the "Downloads" section for details.
VPN access to external websites
There are two options for VPN login listed as "Primary" and "Secondary".
If you select "Primary", access to external websites and the IT Service Portal will be unavailable.
However, if you select "Secondary", the web and IT Service Portal is accessible.
Dementia UK
For staff who have family members or other loved ones with Dementia, Dementia UK have a free helpline to carers who may feel more isolated and alone at this difficult time.
The dementia specialist Admiral Nurses on the Helpline are providing critical emotional and practical support to carers, every day.
More information can be found at the link below:
Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) – working remotely
The Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) based at Heartlands Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham are now working remotely due to COVID-19.
As it appears that domestic violence and abuse is increasing as people are spending more time at home and becoming increasingly isolated, it is important that staff are aware of the support available, both for themselves and for patients they may treat.
The IDVAs are available to provide support women who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse (DVA).
Staff can refer patients through the referral form on the intranet and email it to the IDVA for the hospital.
The IDVAs are also available to provide advice to staff who suspect DVA but don’t know how to navigate those conversations.
If staff experiencing DVA themselves would like support they can contact their onsite IDVA.
Please note that the IDVAs working hours are 09:00–17:00 (Monday – Friday).
Heartlands Hospital
Saras Arulampalam
Email: Sarasvathi.Arulampalam@uhb.nhs.uk
Tel: 07880070131
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Claire Phillips
Email: Claire.Phillips2@uhb.nhs.uk
Tel: 07557598841
Research development and innovation activities
UHB have now reviewed all research and innovation activities across the Trust.
In light of the increasing pressure on front-line services and in line with NIHR guidelines, UHB RD&I are now moving to focus resources to prioritise COVID-19 research activities. This means that with immediate effect UHB RD&I will:
- suspend set-up of new studies with the exception of those directly related to COVID-19
- suspend recruitment to all studies with the exception of those where clinical care is research protocol dependent
- suspend studies which may put participants at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and/or of more severe illness if infected
- continue study visits/monitoring for participants already recruited to other studies, ensuring that arrangements are in place, with trial sponsor agreement and oversight, for minimising hospital visits to UHB sites, (e.g. by carrying out remote follow-up where possible).
Speciality research teams should now all be working to achieve the above. If CIs/PIs wish to discuss how this relates to any specific study for which they are responsible, these queries should be directed to Prof Mark Cook.
RD&I have set-up a COVID-19 Research Facilitation Group (COVID-19 RFG). The purpose of this will be to oversee and prioritise COVID-19 clinical trials and research data collaborations for site permissions, set-up and delivery.
All communications from clinical staff and clinical academic staff with respect to requests for COVID-19 trial and/or research data should be sent to:
Email: COVID-19Research@uhb.nhs.uk
If a member of staff is symptomatic they should self-isolate for seven days before returning to work
They should not attend or call Occupational Health.
In line with the latest NHS England guidelines, staff who have a member of their household who is symptomatic of the coronavirus should self-isolate for 14 days. However, if the member of staff wishes to take up the alternative option of staying away from home in an NHS-reimbursed hotel so they can continue to work on site, they can ask to do so through their line manager.
Anticoagulation referrals
To ensure that referrals are not missed, the Anticoagulation team at Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull will no longer be accepting telephone calls for any referrals.
All referrals and queries must be sent to the Anticoagulation email address:
Email: AnticoagulantDepartmentBHH@heartofengland.nhs.uk
Staff should continue to email referrals via the PICs system at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham as is the current process.
Using Trust smoking shelters
While we appreciate staff and patients are using the Trust’s designated smoking shelters, they should also observe the advice around social distancing, particularly in respect of those at increased risk.
The national advice is that you should stay more than two metres away from others.
Allbirds: free shoes
Footwear company Allbirds is donating shoes (while stocks last) to anyone who works in healthcare and is on the front lines of fighting COVID-19.
To register, visit: