Updates
Update, 4 February 2021
Published: 04 February 2021
Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?
Are you unsure about whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Do you have concerns or questions but don’t know who to ask?
We want to reassure you that the vaccine is safe and to give you the opportunity to ask our vaccine experts any questions or share concerns you have anonymously.
We have set up a way, using Slido, of submitting questions, concerns and comments without your name or details.
All you need to do is visit Slido and enter the code 68223. This will be open until Tuesday 9 February.
Experts Inderjit (Indi) Singh, UHB’s Chief Pharmacist, and Deepak Parasuraman, Consultant and Clinical Service Lead for Paediatrics and Neonatology, will answer all questions and address queries and concerns in a video that will be shared Trust-wide once the Slido has closed.
Staff mental health hub
The BSol Staff Mental Health Hub is now open for referrals for all health and care staff seeking help for the emotional and psychological impact of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This BSoL Staff Mental Health Hub will accept referrals directly from organisations for their staff and will offer the following:
- rapid access to specialist psychological assessment
- advice, consultation and onward referral where appropriate
- advice for managers regarding concerns they have about a staff member
- access to some evidence based brief interventions
The hub will be open Monday to Friday from 08:00—19:00.
Please note that the BSol Staff mental health hub will not be able to directly offer an alternative to secondary care mental health services or urgent / Crisis intervention. If you are concerned about immediate risk you will need to contact the individual’s GP or consider seeking other emergency health care.
To refer yourself or someone else into the BSoL Staff Mental Health Hub please email the following secure address, labelling your email clearly for the Staff Mental Health Hub, and including name and contact details, and where possible some brief details as to the reason for the referral.
If referring on behalf of someone else, please ensure you have consent to share their details with us.
Email: BSM-TR.Referrals@nhs.net
Safeguarding information for critical care staff
Useful information about safeguarding aimed at critical care staff is now available to download.
Mycology service temporarily suspended
The Public Health Laboratory at Heartlands Hospital is currently facing unprecedented pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the finite number of staff we need to temporarily suspend the Mycology service for microscopy and culture of skin, nail, hair and scalp scrapings.
This will be for at least eight weeks. The laboratory needs to prioritise testing based upon clinical need to meet the increasing demand for COVID-19 testing and maintain turnaround times.
During this time, samples will be stored for seven days. If processing this sample is clinically urgent, please inform the laboratory within seven days and it can be arranged for the sample to be tested at an alternative laboratory.
If you need to discuss a patient or test please contact the Duty Consultant Microbiologist.
Email: InfectionEmail@uhb.nhs.uk
Email: UHB-TR.GPEnquiries@nhs.net