News

SMT Roundup – April

Hi Everyone,

Here’s the top stories from this month’s SMT meeting…

 

  • Vantage training for incident reporting has now taken place and we are reviewing the surrounding policies prior to rolling out the system. All comments on the incidence policy are welcome.
  • Fleet – You may already be aware that expenses can now be claimed weekly in order to help with the rising fuel costs. Please can we ask everyone to use a Derian pool car when available in order to reduce all staff using their own vehicles.
  • Culture and Values sessions that commenced prior to the new year have now finished and Ben will be collating all your feedback and we will be inducting new staff on a quarterly basis to the Culture and Values at Derian.
  • Congratulations to Lynn on being appointed as the Clinical Lead for Lancs & South Cumbria Children’s Palliative Care Network which will involve membership of Integrated Care System Board (CYP services).

 

COVID

  • Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) released new guidance with effect from 1st April 2022 this means that within the Hospice;
    • PCR testing has been removed. Lateral Flow testing (LFT) will continue twice weekly (Monday and Thursday) so please ensure you continue to register your LFT results online using the Derian unique organisation code 99872459.
    • We will be circulating the amount of LFT numbers that have been registered online twice a month. We need to ensure we continue to submit your test results as DHSC do check how many kits we receive and how many results are reported. The DHSC will only continue to provide us all with free kits if the usage reporting is higher.
    • Social Distancing when not wearing PPE remains at 1 metre. This means that we can review how many tables are in the dining room but will be limited to 2 per table. This will be reviewed at each month SMT meeting.
    • Symptoms
      • You may have seen in the news the 9 symptoms of COVID, Flu and respiratory infections. Please be aware when reading any guidance that these symptoms are only a sign of COVID if you also have a high temperature.
      • We have also reviewed our stance on absence management and how some staff have the option to work from home if positive but well enough to work and others do not. In these situations only we will be utilising medical suspension rather than sickness absence and we will be reviewing absence management decisions from the past 12 months in line with this change. If this affects you you will be contacted by HR in due course.
    • There are some changes to PPE and the way in which AGP’s are managed, Lynn will handle this communication to the Care Team directly.
    • There are no changes to mask wearing and no changes to the visitor policy however this will also be reviewed monthly at SMT meeting.

Retail

  • Bury and Accrington are under way, which will both be opening shortly.
  • All COVID LFT will be removed for the Retail staff excluding one member of the transport team to enable them to still come into the Hospice.