Updates
Update, 4 June
Published: 04 June 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on BAME staff webinars
Our next webinar on COVID-19 and the effects on BAME staff, led by our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff network, will be on Friday 5 June.
We want to support and inform all staff, targeting those most at risk first.
We are starting with BAME staff as it is recognised nationally that BAME staff are disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is an opportunity for you to meet with members of the senior management team, including Lisa Stalley-Green, Chief Nurse.
Details of the webinar can be found on the "Staff network Zoom meetings and webinars" page.
Antibody testing update
Since last Friday, more than 4,000 staff have expressed interest in having a COVID-19 antibody test.
To ensure we comply with social distancing, which remains a priority for the Trust as we move into Phase 2 and the lockdown is eased across the country, we can only provide tests for staff with pre-booked appointments.
Staff who turn up to areas where antibody testing is taking place and do not have an appointment will be turned away, and asked to complete a form in advance of an appointment being offered.
All staff who express interest will be called and offered a scheduled appointment on the site where they most regularly work. The R,D&I nursing team have developed a process to visit wards and departments in a systematic approach, meaning they are likely to visit the same areas repeatedly over the coming weeks.
As a result of the high demand in antibody tests, it is currently taking about a week for us to offer an appointment to staff, and we would politely remind staff interested in having the test to be patient. Please do not send repeated emails regarding your appointment. The team will be in touch as soon as they can, but this will take time. All staff who would like to have an antibody test will be able to.
It’s important to remember that you must still adhere to social distancing, regularly wash your hands and use appropriate personal protective equipment regardless of the result of your antibody test. The test will not tell you if you currently have COVID-19, nor will it tell you that you are definitely protected from a future COVID-19 infection in the future. Even if the test is negative, it will not definitively confirm you have not already had COVID-19.
We are also continuing to recruit staff to the Oxford Vaccine Group’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. More information about the study, including FAQs and an online form to register interest in taking part, is available on the study website.
WH Smith "Scan and go" app
WH Smith at QEHB has introduced a scan and go app this week to help customers stay safe during this time.
It works similarly to a supermarket app but there is no need to go to a till to check out - it is all completed via the app.
Customers will get 50% off their first transaction which is capped at £5. They can also use their 20% NHS discount on this app every time they shop.
Details, step-by-step instructions and QR codes are available at the store.