Well done to .....
The team at Derby Arena who came to the aid of an 87 year old gentleman who suffered a heart attack while waiting in the queue to receive his second vaccine. He was taken to the emergency department at Royal Derby Hospital and has since regained circulation and independent breathing.
The team on site including medics, marshals, management and security all worked together to achieve the best possible outcome in incredibly difficult circumstances. Not only did they provide the best care they could to the gentleman in question, they also maintained a smooth vaccine service for the hundreds of patients passing through the site while the incident took place.
Dr Drew Smith, one of the clinical directors at the Arena, wanted to say a particular thank you to Karla Brown who he described as “efficient and calm in co-ordinating the non-medical aspects of the event, while afterwards she gave clear priority to the welfare of all involved appreciating that for some this will have been a traumatic event and the first time they will have witnessed a medical emergency.”
Thank you Karla, and everyone else involved, you’re a credit to the local NHS.
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Key updates:
Covid-19 vaccination and blood clotting – information
Recently there have been reports of a very rare condition involving blood clots after vaccination. Although this condition remains extremely rare there appears to be a higher risk in people shortly after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Of the 20 million doses administered to date, this occurred in 79 people. An increased risk has not yet been seen after other Covid-19 vaccines but is being carefully monitored. No treatment or vaccine is entirely risk-free and the benefits of vaccination in protecting you against the serious consequences of Covid-19 far outweigh any risk of this very rare condition. For more information on the benefits, risks and what to do next, download this leaflet from Public Health England.
If you are a healthy younger person aged 18 to 39
The MHRA and the JCVI advise that all adults in this age group (including health and social care workers) should still receive any of the available Covid-19 vaccines and you should also complete your course with the same vaccine you had for the first dose. The JCVI has advised that it is preferable for people under the age of 30 to have a vaccine other than AstraZeneca. For more information visit this page.
Fertility and Covid-19 vaccines
Thank you to everyone who attended the helpful session earlier this week with Kara Dent, consultant obstetrician from Royal Derby Hospital. Kara answered your questions around fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding in relation to the Covid-19 vaccine. She highly recommended this information and decision aid tool from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Stick to your second dose appointment and the “11 week rule”
Second dose appointments for staff are unaffected by the temporary reduction in supply and it's really important that you do all you can to stick to your planned booking and avoid rearranging it. If you haven’t already got a date for the second dose of your vaccination then you should wait to be contacted by the site where you received your first dose. It’s really important that you pencil in the date 11 weeks after your first appointment, and if for any reason you haven’t been contacted by that date then please get in touch with jo.hunter1@nhs.net.
Government targets false vaccine information on social media
A new campaign to tackle online false vaccine information shared amongst ethnic minority communities has launched and is supported by the world’s biggest social media companies. The key message is to ‘check before you share’, signposting to the NHS as the best source of information.
Easing of lockdown restrictions
Many of us have enjoyed seeing family and friends again since restrictions were eased on 29 March, allowing up to six people, or two households, to meet outside or in private gardens with social distancing. From Monday 12 April, all non-essential retail can reopen and restaurants will be allowed to serve outdoors, while gyms, zoos and theme parks can also reopen on the same date. The Prime Minister has also said he is "hopeful" that international travel could resume from 17 May, but warned about difficulties around "importing" virus variants. You can read about the different steps in the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown here.
Applying for the EU Settlement Scheme
EU, EEA or Swiss citizens or their family members resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 now have less than 100 days left to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to ensure they can continue to live, work, study, access free healthcare and benefits here after 30 June 2021. More information is available here including a helpful fact sheet.
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Patient facing colleagues:
- Learning from outbreaks: This poster and guide has been developed to help us learn the lessons from Covid-19 outbreaks in our services and avoid any so-called ‘vaccine complacency’. It covers tips on break times, car sharing and ventilation. Look out for a summary video on this important topic coming soon.
- LFT testing protocol: You must provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test result undertaken within the last 72 hours when visiting a care home, or you will be refused access. Full guidance is here along with our local protocol here.
- SOPs: Our standard operating procedure (SOP) for inpatients, outpatients and urgent treatment centres was last updated on 11 March. Click here to download that and all other available SOPs
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Reminders:
- RCN and HSJ awards are open for entries: With two major award programmes now open there’s plenty of scope for our fabulous teams and individuals to be celebrated on a national scale for their efforts over the past 12 months. Head over to rcn-nursing-awards.co.uk for more information, the closing date is 30 April. The HSJ awards close for entries on 4 June, more details are here: Award Categories 2021 | HSJ Awards.
- Shielding paused from 1 April: Please read here for updated guidance on supporting colleagues who have been shielding.
- Staff transfer scheme: This optional staff transfer scheme makes it easier to move jobs within DCHS if you are looking for a change. For a quick overview just read this poster, or for full details check out this guidance.
- Catalytic converter theft: Following a couple of incidents last year, we’ve seen a further theft from a vehicle at Clay Cross Hospital in the past week. It has been reported to our security team and the police, but please remember to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to the site manager: eileen.chappell@nhs.net. For more information click here.
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Wellbeing:
- Spirituality and faith workshop next Friday: At 2pm next Friday (16 April) we’re hosting a practical and interactive workshop designed to enhance wellbeing by focusing on our own spiritual needs and those of others in our lives/work. To register please click here.
- Financial wellbeing: Listen again to this workshop from Chris Hughes on how to make the most of your money, with practical steps and tips by tuning in here. You can also get free, confidential financial support (phone, text or web chat) and video resources via our partnership with Money Advice Service for this financial wellbeing offer.
- Our next Schwartz Round: 'When you can’t make the work day stop', on Tuesday 27 April at 1pm. You can read more here or contact Ruth Bailey to join the session: Ruth.Bailey8@nhs.net.
- Wellbeing calendar of events and opportunities: You can find all sorts of wellbeing events, development sessions and more on this page, including personal power and beating burnout.
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If you want us to cover any specific topics please let us know. It’s important we continue to work collectively to shape our comms so we get the most from it. Tell us more here: dchst.communications@nhs.net
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Many thanks
Issued on behalf of
William Jones
Chief Operating Officer & Accountable Emergency Officer
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS FT
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