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Welcome to your weekly staff bulletin. |
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| To view this email online, @link@. |
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GMMH Staff NewsBack to topWelcome to your weekly staff bulletin – which contains important information about COVID-19 and wider Trust information.In Today's Bulletin:If you would like to submit an item for inclusion, contact us at communications@gmmh.nhs.uk.
We send out our weekly newsletters to all GMMH staff on a Thursday. If you have missed previous editions, you can find them under "Weekly Staff Newsletters" on our website here. |
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NEW COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT - WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A LETTER
As we learn more about COVID-19 and the factors which can lead to some people becoming more seriously ill with the virus, a new COVID-19 Population Risk Assessment has been developed to help identify people who may be at a higher risk from COVID-19, over and above those who were identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the first wave of the pandemic. This means that individuals with certain risk factors may receive a letter from their GP, asking them to shield and informing them they will be prioritised for vaccination. If you receive one of these letters, please do not worry. Speak to your line manager who will review your individual risk assessment and work with you to ensure you remain as safe as possible. Gold Command will continue to review the implications of this new Population Risk Assessment and we will let you know of any changes which need making to ensure the safety of staff, service users and our communities.
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LATERAL FLOW TESTING - NEW KITS DELIVERED
We are so pleased to tell you that a new tranche of lateral flow testing kits has now been delivered to each division. These kits are available to all members of staff who have either not previously taken part in lateral flow testing, or who have been taking part regularly and have now run out – or are about to run out - of tests provided in their first kit.
To arrange collection of your lateral flow test kit, please speak to your line manager who can inform you of your local collection point and time slots for collection.
It is expected that on collection you will sign a contract and consent form to engage in this very important process. By doing so, you will agree to recording your test results twice a week. Evidence suggests that twice-weekly testing makes lateral-flow testing effective at managing your COVID-19 status; although this frequency can be increased in higher risk situations such as an outbreak at your service. Your consent will also allow us to report using robust data that in turn will inform the management of the spread of
COVID-19 in GMMH, and help in our ongoing fight to protect our service users and staff.
Please also look out for 'Take Part in Lateral Flow Testing' posters which will be delivered to your service soon. These posters underline some of the key reasons for taking part in lateral flow testing, and we'd love for you to display them prominently in any staff areas.
You can find more lateral flow testing information and resources on the website and intranet, or contact communications@gmmh.nhs.uk. |
SECOND DOSE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AT THE CURVE
COVID-19 vaccines are given on a two-dose schedule and require individuals to receive a second dose of the vaccine around 12 weeks after their first.
After a fantastic programme of first COVID-19 vaccinations for staff at The Curve, we are delighted to say that plans are well underway to deliver the second dose.
If you have had your first vaccination at The Curve, you will shortly be provided with an email confirming your slot to receive your second dose, which will be booked for around 12 weeks after your first. The email will also include a list of factors which you will need to notify us about if they have changed since your first vaccination, such as becoming pregnant or testing positive for COVID-19 in the last 28 days.
Emails will be sent in waves, with those who received the vaccine first receiving their email first. So please don't be concerned if colleagues receive theirs before you.
It is very important that you keep your appointment slot wherever possible. Please only cancel if it is absolutely urgent. If you do need to cancel your appointment, you will be provided with a telephone number to do so as soon as possible, so that we can reallocate the slot.
If you have had your vaccination at MFT or SRFT, your second vaccination slot will have been booked and communicated to you during your first appointment.
Please be aware that there are still a number of limited slots at The Curve for those who require their first vaccination, due to extenuating circumstances. If you still require your first vaccination, please call 0161 358 1819 between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday to book. Please leave a message with your name and a phone number we can contact you on. If you are unable to use telephone due to a hearing impairment, please contact your manager or email communications@gmmh.nhs.uk.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccination is a brilliant opportunity to protect yourself so you can continue to be there for your service users and loved ones. As we approach the second wave of vaccinations, we hope that this brings with it a fresh sense of optimism for a brighter future. However, we would like to remind everyone that there is still some way to go, and now more than ever we must not become complaisant. Having the vaccination does not necessarily prevent the spread of the virus, and therefore it remains so important to follow workplace and government guidance on social distancing, handwashing, PPE and testing.
For further information about COVID-19 vaccinations, please check out our FAQs on the website and intranet, or contact
communications@gmmh.nhs.uk. |
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James Gold appointed as Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Every NHS organisation has a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to be an independent point of contact for those wishing to raise concerns. James Gold will support Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Juliette Tait, taking up the role of Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Speaking about his new role, James commented,
"The creation of this post shows how committed the Trust is, by supporting staff to raise their concerns and I am really excited to be a part of that.
"My job is to support staff to speak up when they feel unable to do so by other routes. This can be concerns about the quality of patient care, staff experiences or just general concerns about how things are in their services. More widely, it is to make raising concerns easier within their workplaces and to promote a culture of openness and learning.
"All conversations will remain confidential and we only share information if the person wishes for us to do so."
What is a Freedom to Speak Up guardian?
The guardian role is to help create an open and transparent culture, where staff are encouraged to speak up safely, lessons are learnt, and care improves as a result.
Guardians do not get involved in investigations or complaints. They help people to raise concerns through the Trust processes and ensure they are listened to and acted upon.
How can my guardian help?
You may find just having someone to talk to about your concerns is enough and no follow up is needed. Alternatively, you may find that you would like to raise your concern formally using the formal reporting procedures. Your guardian can help you do this.
If anyone has a concern they wish to discuss with our Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, please email freedomtospeakup@gmmh.nhs.uk.You can find out more about the role of our Freedom to Speak Up Guardians here. | | |
As part of essential maintenance work, there will be downtime on Always on VPN and PARIS on the 22nd and 23rd February.
The downtime for Always on VPN has been planned for 3 hours from 6pm on Monday 22nd February. During this time, remote access from home on Surface Pros will not work, however emails and MS Teams will be unaffected. Citrix will continue to work and staff are advised to use it for this time period to access trust systems.
There will also be PARIS downtime from approximately 8pm on 23rd February 2021. It is envisaged that this will be for an estimated 2 hours.
There will be a "Read-Only" version of Paris available, but we would strongly advise that local business continuity plans are reviewed prior to this downtime.
There will be a support line number for staff during this time should there be any difficulties accessing information – 0161 358 1864. |
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AVATAR2 is a new trial of AVATAR therapy for people who hear distressing voices. AVATAR therapy aims to reduce the distress that can be experienced when hearing voices, using dialogue with an image or "avatar" of the distressing voice on a computer.
More information about the project can be found at
www.avatartherapytrial.com
and @AvatarLdn on Twitter.
To watch a short video about this project, please follow the link below. |
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Criminals are actively exploiting Covid-19 and nationally there has been an increase in fraudulent Phishing emails, SMS text messages and phone calls. GMMH have strong technical IT Security measures in place and block many of these, however our number one defence needs to be the vigilance of our staff as these become more targeted and sophisticated.
Please can everyone be particularly cautious when opening emails, clicking website links and receiving phone calls from unexpected sources.
In particular be vigilant, both on a work and personal level for; - Unsolicited Emails and SMS text messages relating to COVID payments, payroll or benefits.
- Emotional targeted scams, particularly relating to PPE sales and donations for Pets & Animal Welfare.
- Unexpected or unsolicited phone calls to homeworker from fraudsters pretending to represent IT Departments.
- Unexpected emails asking for personal bank account details/changes to account details.
The National Cyber Security Centre have a useful online resource for further information on Cyber Safety both at work and home. |
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As part of preparation to go live with the new intranet on Monday 1st March, we will be migrating over any existing documents on the current intranet. This will mean that you will not be able to upload any new documents during this migration. However, you will still be able to view any documents online.
On Thursday 25th
February and Friday 26th February, we will be migrating all non-critical document libraries, this means everything except the COVID-19 and Policy documents.
On the afternoon of Friday 26th February,
we will be migrating COVID-19 and Policy documents.
During these times, you will not be able to upload any new documents, however, you can still view any documents online. The disruption will be short, and any critical COVID-19 messages will be sent
via Trust-wide email.
If you have any concerns, please get in touch via this form. |
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"Big thanks to the pharmacy team at HMP Wymott and HMP Garth who joined the prison team at GMMH in April 2020.
"They have pulled together and worked immensely hard through difficult times." | | |
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Reports of theft
We have been made aware
of thefts of catalytic
converters, which have taken place on car
parks at GMMH sites.
Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious
behaviour to Julie Eastham
and Philip Moffatt from the
Risk and Safety team. | | | | | |
| The QNI's listening service, TalkToUs, offers emotional support by phone to registered nurses working in the community.
The service is operated by trained listeners who are available to speak to nurses working in community or social care, including those in care homes, and nurses working with people who are homeless.
TalkToUs is intended as a friendly ear for those who would like to talk to someone in complete confidence about their life and work at the current time.
If you are worried about any aspect of your work or home life, particularly if it is affected by COVID-19, and you would like to talk to their team, please follow the link below for details about how to get in touch. | | |
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This day aims to gather together voices and experiences from across the UK to celebrate, describe and promote Mental Health Nursing. Join in the conversation using the hashtag #MHNursesDay on social media. |
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This group is for all professions and support staff who are interested in research to meet, network and share with each other and with Trust researchers. Please join the group using the link above for an invite to the inaugural meeting from 2pm. |
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A series of free 2hr sessions around inequalities in accessing palliative care from NHS England in February through to April 2021. GMMH will be delivering a session on mental health and prisons on the 24 February! |
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More Trust News and Events |
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| Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Bury New Road, Prestwich M25 3BL |
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