We Are EEAST - Thursday 30th September

 

This week's We Are EEAST Exec Briefing and Q&A comes from our Chief Operating Officer, Marcus Bailey.

 

Q1 - Will the subsequent amendments/adjustments to build specification on the later fiats e.g carry chair mount to back door be retrofitted to all fiats?

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Q2 - What is the predicted outcome for staff that are unable to work on the fiats due to occ health or ergonomic reasons?

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Q3 - In the first quarter of this year, there were some culture for change focus groups set up, with 4 subgroups. Health and wellbeing, communication, current culture and lead and reflect. These have all been put on hold. I know we have been at REAP4 for a long time and I’m presuming this won't get a lot better as we go through to Winter, so what is happening in regard to these groups? Health and wellbeing must be high on your agenda, it affects staff of all levels as we can see from the email sent out earlier regarding Dr Tom Davis. We have had everything thrown at us in the last 18 months we need help and support now, but the leaflet is nice, but it isn't enough.

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Q4 - Thanks to Dr Tom for taking up the CEO role previously.  Really hope he is just taking some much-needed time out – hope he is not departing (much like Dorothy did) as he one of the best we’ve had! Really wish him well.

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Q5 - All training has been stopped, how long until we actually start hearing from MediPro and get on with training, why can't we even do our ride outs?

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Q6 - Are Real World HR still in the business?  Don't really hear much of them - does feel like the culture improvement agenda seems to have been lost recently.  Can we demonstrate any improvements against the cost to the public purse for their involvement in the trust?

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Q7 - Call Handler pressures have increased by an unprecedented amount. I understand a significant recruitment drive is being carried out, however we have always had high staff turn around. What is the Trust going to do to improve Call Handler retention?

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Q8 - Hi Marcus. Are there any updates with regards to (re)introducing staff responders, enabling qualified staff to respond to calls, much like CFRs, but without the restrictions of working within the limited CFR scope of practice? This is something many staff are keen to see and will have a tangible impact on patient care, particularly as we continue to see unprecedented demand for our services.

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Q9 - Has there been any progress to paying Flowers payment to those who have left the Trust but are eligible? Emailed the relevant email address numerous times but have been ignored...

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Q10 - Is there any employment opportunities for student paramedics working in the Trust as current ACA? Or on apprenticeships for ECSW any time soon?

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Q11 - JRCALC is being discontinued in physical copy, due to app. But in prison settings not allowed this due to legal restrictions on electrical devices, how do you recommend how we are supposed to give medication in prison setting? EEAST stated that we should not give any medication without checking JRCALC?  Due to this change are you recommending that we don’t use JRCALC to check drug and if so that that means you are wanting staff to do unsafe practices by not checking medication when we are in prison setting? 

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Q12 - With the need to increase clinical staff - where is the uplift in vehicles/a rota review? Can we sustain the number of apprentices planned with the 'qualified' staff we have? Furthermore, are the Trust insisting on C1 licenses by the time 'classroom' training is completed?

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Q13 - Are the Trust conducting an ??? of the Make Ready programme before it is rolled out further?

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Q14 - Its good you are looking at the fiats but who is looking at the changes, will it be people that actually use them.

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Q15 - What are the three main points you would like staff to focus on with the impending CQC visit?

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Q16 - Flowers payments - accept does not include BANK staff. However, what about those staff who have to have a BANK OVERTIME contract to fulfil other roles? Surely these individuals are completing overtime in addition to their substantive role and therefore should receive the payment?  It is by EEAST's design that these individuals have to have a bank contract???

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Q17 - I see many social media posts advising people when it is appropriate to call 999, these will only be seen by a very small demographic. What are your opinions regarding using more widespread media campaigns to target a much larger audience? (TV / national newspapers etc).

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Q18 - Would it be possible to have a policy on how to escalate an issue when managers fail to follow policy?

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Q19 - I haven’t been paid the corrective payment this month and I am hoping it will arrive in the October pay but during this period as a band 7 LOM the Trust required me to have a band 6 dash 2 payroll number to pay my overtime - but from the literature it would seem bank overtime will not be included? If the requirement for me was to have an overtime bank payroll number I feel this is really unfair - can you advise if this is correct please?

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Q20 - Hi Marcus, are you concerned about the amount of staff that are leaving the Trust? And is this going to be an issue with more non-qualified on the road, coming into Winter pressures, and is there any concern that most of them are paramedics and going to GP surgeries? Thank you.

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Q21 – ECA’s are going to cat 3 calls and allowed to discharge at home with CAL and GP for safe discharging. This in skills is more, and more responsibility, they are band 3, do you think that they should be uplifted to band 4 or are they just low paid with more responsibility? Could this be looked at please?

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Q22 - Would it be a good idea to put paramedics that are on maternity into one of the ECAT departments around the Trust, as they could use their clinical skills to help with demand, as ECAT is very understaffed we have been told when asked if calls can be looked at by them.

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Q23 - What is the Trust doing to support staff who are struggling to get fuel? Like we all are. Will staff be disciplined for turning up late because they are queuing for fuel, or will the Trust be empathetic towards this?  Can staff have official guidance around this please?

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Q24 - As far as I can see, the C1 driving license problem is not going to go away and it may become a bigger issue as time goes on. Would it not be a benefit to both the Trust and staff to look at bringing C1 training in-house and incorporate it into the training programme for those who require it?

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Q25 - Outside Bedford EOC there is a welfare van that has sat there for many years (and is probably now not serviceable). Why is this and similar welfare support vehicles not being considered to support staff and patients outside hospitals when they are queuing and waiting for hours and hours?

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Q26 - It seems really hard to get HR help across the Trust so then investigations are delayed etc, can we employ more HR employees? This would help the Trust and ultimately help employees.

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Q27 - Educating public is very important. Due to long delays for ambulances some patients make their own way, would it be possible to have some sort of campaign/poster for public who do make their own way to inform us.

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Published 4th October