Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 19 April 2024 at 22:17
This week's We Are EEAST Briefing and Exec Q&A is split in two parts. The first, led by Juliet Beal, Director of Nursing, Clinical Quality and Improvement, is about our forthcoming CQC visit, which you can view here.
The weekly briefing and Q&A session was then led by our Chief Executive, Tom Abell, which you can view above.
Q1 - I understand the CQC is important, but it feels like you are focusing more on "passing" the inspection by telling people what they need to say and how to act, rather than actually making the changes which would automatically mean we'd pass....
Q2 - Thanks Juliet, very helpful. Do CQC take into account how long we have been at REAP Level 4 because this will have an impact on our Compliance, providing appropriate evidence?
Q3 - Please can you explain why the mop heads used to clean the back of the frontline DMAs are not deemed clinical waste anymore. They are now disposed of as general waste by the MRO team. Thanks.
Q4 - I would like to know why no risk assessment on staff health, safety and wellbeing has been done relating to the continued wearing of surgical face masks. There is mounting evidence on the harmful effects on health from mask use and several years of research on the lack of efficacy.
Q5 - Will the CQC be contacting people who are currently working from home following COVID-19 workplace guidance?
Q6 - Whilst EEAST has been in 'Special Measures' what has the additional HEE directorial support been focusing on, and where are the main impacts so far?
Q7 - Do we have to work with non-clinical drivers (firefighters) and CFR?
Q8 - With hindsight, do the Exec accept that the delivery of badges for working through the pandemic was both an inappropriate spend of charitable funds and did not really improve morale? The cost of postage alone was questionable at the very least.
Q9 - In hindsight do the Trust feel that issuing badges to staff for their efforts is a complete mismatch and insult for the level of stress, anxiety and exhaustion felt by the majority of front-line staff that worked and continue to work through it?
Q10 - A project manager had been suspended for shaking his head on a Teams call - is that really the culture we are still working under?
Q11 - With the influx of agency staff in some areas are there plans to ensure they have Evolve accounts early on to enable them to complete the statutory mandatory training that is only available via this platform?
Q12 - I wear my badge with pride, yes is a very little thing but still its appreciated.
Q13 - We are forced to do incidental overtime for which we are entitled to be paid yet penalised for following the work time regulations of having 11hrs rest between shifts by losing accrued annual leave and not being paid for the hours we are forced to work. Why is this and how is it legal?
Q14 - We have been at REAP 4 for several months now with no sign of demand decreasing, in fact it appears to be getting worse with more patients experiencing significant harm as a result let alone the effect this is having on staff. There appears to have been very little, if any, communication from the Exec and Heads of Ops teams explaining any actions that are being undertaken to meet this demand and provide a safe service to our patients.
Q15 - Would the Exec commit to providing regular communication to staff, giving tangible and understandable explanations to actions the Trust is taking?
Q16 - How long has challenging paperwork or administration taken priority over a patient’s medical needs? Should triage be constant?
Q17 - How can people really doubt mask wearing?? I really don’t want to be infected and die especially as the numbers rise. Other healthcare providers e.g. hospitals are cracking down on compliance and wearing. We must protect each other’s health as well as ourselves.
Q18 - We will get in trouble with answering the question honestly?
Q19 - On last week's questions, Marcus was looking at a proposal on using advanced paramedics differently and said there would be an update this week, do you have any updates please?
Q20 - I want to bring to your attention that people I work with within area are very tired, stressed and not happy with working situation, due to the pressure. At least 25% of people I work with are activity looking for other jobs, and I know at least 10% have got ongoing interviews with other companies. What is your plan to retaining your staff?
Q21 - We are frequently being sent to jobs 35+miles away, driving on blue lights for 1.5hrs with multiple stand downs before getting to a job. On night shift this is unsafe and leading to staff having to go duty sick. It makes us hours late off trying to get back. How is this reasonable, productive, or sustainable?
Q22 - Is the Trust preparing for winter? It has been in the news that patients are waiting longer in the back of ambulances with recently a detrimental effect on some patients this week, we have no more new staff, so how is the trust going to look after their staff on the road now, going forward, to be able to deliver to our patients over the Winter period?
Q23 - Good afternoon, is there any update with the apprentice Paramedic pathway and bridging course? Also, I and so many of my colleagues that are long standing technicians are finding a decrease in moral that there is no progression. It seems either become a paramedic or remain quiet. Many of my colleagues would like to do something else but are unable due to every most posts wanting a paramedic registration... very frustrating.
Q24 - Can staff arrange 5-10 min appointments with you if they have a good idea?
Q25 - It's concerning with the number of patient safety incidents the trust has had recently. What can we do differently to ensure patient safety maintained as it very much feels that we are not doing anything differently to ensure that we minimise harm?
Q26 - I would really ask people to stop and think - this is our organisation; many people are doing a lot of hard work yet there are few that have to moan and groan - lets come up with positive ideas and actions rather than moan - it's very negative and is contagious. It feels like whatever as an organisation we try to do its wrong, that doesn't bode well for improving the environment for all.
Q27 - Staff are working long hours without breaks how is this acceptable? This is not safe for our staff.
Q28 - Which site has the new Covid case please?