The theme this year for organ donation week is conversation – speak to our staff about this topic at our information stands between 5-9 September.

Transplants save and/or greatly enhance the lives of people who otherwise without them would die waiting for an organ. In order for transplants to occur the NHS ultimately relies on donors and their families agreeing to donate their organs or tissues after their death.

Data from NHS Blood and Transport indicates that a new record has been set nationally with an increase in transplants from deceased donors which is up by 5.8%, and as a result, the number of people waiting on transplant lists has fallen by 7%.

This is good news, however, the donation rate in the West Midlands and the UK remains poor when compared to other countries, such as the USA or Spain. Currently there are around 6,000 people who need a transplant and sadly, on average, three people die every day across the UK due to a shortage of donated organs.

In principle, 90% of the UK population are in favour of organ donation, but there are some common barriers to considering organ donation such as family not knowing whether loved one would want to donate their organs and tissues.

As a Trust we support families considering wishes related to organ donation and have specialist nurse involvement to help provide family support.

For more information and advice about organ donation, visit our information stands during organ donation week between 5-9 September at:

• Heartlands Hospital – main entrance at the top of the escalator

• Good Hope Hospital – by X-ray

1.       How many full time equivalent vacancies for doctors of all grades and specialisms are currently outstanding across the Trust?

2.       How many full time equivalent vacancies for doctors of all grades and specialisms have been advertised more than 28 days and currently still remain unfilled?

17 WTE vacancies have been advertised more than 28 days and currently remain unfilled, however we are in still the process of interviewing for some of these posts.

3.       Please detail the grades and specialisms for all whole time equivalent vacancies which have been advertised for more than 28 days and currently still remain unfilled?

4. What was the total amount spent on Agency Locum Doctors during financial year 2015/16?

The total spend on Agency Doctors during 2015/16 was £13.3m

I would like to request information on any post-CCT Doctors currently undergoing training Fellowships or similar advanced training programmes in Gastroenterology within your Trust.

We have no doctors currently undertaking training fellowships (or similar) within Gastroenterology.

Can you please provide me with the following information: Details of all the current doctors partaking in training fellowships (or other similar training programmes for post CCT doctors) within your Ophthalmology departments.

We have no doctors currently undertaking training fellowships (or similar) within Ophthalmology.

Overall in your hospital, considering junior doctors to be anything from FY1 to ST8, please tell me:

1. How many junior doctors do you have within your trust and can you please provide a breakdown of grade and specialty

2.     How many doctors do you currently have rostered to work each weekend

94 (this figure includes non-training doctors where they share a rota with doctors in training grades)

Specifically for FY1 doctors please tell me:

1.     How many FY1 doctors do you currently have rostered to work each weekend

16

2.     How many FY1 doctors you will have working each weekend in August, when the new junior doctor contract is imposed

There are no immediate plans to alter junior doctor cover over the weekends as a result of transition to the new contract

For each individual grade of junior doctor, i.e. FY1, SHO (being FY2 to CT3 and trust grade SHO’s) and SpR/StR in each of these specialties:

Anaesthetics

Acute Medicine

Emergency Medicine

General Surgery

Intensive Care

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Paediatrics,

Please tell me:

1.     How many doctors do you currently have rostered to work each weekend

2.     How many doctors you will have working each weekend in August, when the new junior doctor contract is imposed

As above

A group of Solihull mums and babies ‘latched on’ during World Breastfeeding Awareness Week and helped to break the world record for the most children breastfeeding simultaneously.

Solihull Community Services’ Infant Feeding Team, part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, joined the 19 mums in Mell Square, Solihull, as a part of the Global Big Latch On event.

With 19 latches and 54 total attendees, Solihull helped alongside 781 other locations and 28 countries to set a new global record and beat last year’s record of 14,889 simultaneous latches with 17,223 latches. This is a big change from when the first Global Big Latch On was held in 2010 where there were only 2,045 latches with just two countries taking part.

Elaine Bates, infant feeding specialist, was delighted by the positive public reception and interest and said: “We had a grandmother ask for information for her pregnant daughter, and another lady who was curious about what we were doing.

“After the event a lady came over to congratulate us on being there and said she no longer breastfed but had come along to our breastfeeding cafes in the past.”

The Global Big Latch On encourages small locations to take part so that busy mums can stay close to their home, meet other local parents and enable whole communities to get involved.

Elaine added: “It was a lovely sunny day and the mums, partners and children were all very happy to be there, so there was lots of chatter and smiles.”

For further advice and support on breastfeeding, please contact Solihull Community Infant Feeding Service on 0121 713 8924, email elaine.bates@heartofengland.nhs.uk or visit their website www.youplusbaby.co.uk

Please provide me with an up to date Organisational Structure chart for the DOLS  (Deprivation of Liberty Standards).

The DOLS structure chart is attached.DOLS

In regards to your outpatient ear microscopes found in ENT departments; we would request the following information:
1. What brand/model of the microscopes do you have and how many of each? How many would you have in your satellite/allied smaller hospitals?  We have three Zeiss and one Universal.

2. What was the capital expenditure of each microscope and how were they purchased?
We do not hold  this information as the microscopes are at least 16 years old.
3. What are the agreements with the manufacturers/another agency regarding maintenance contracts for the ear microscopes? Can you please provide some contracts by pdf?
We do not have any maintenance contracts in place for these microscopes , Medical engineers do a yearly inspection/check on the microscopes.
4. How often do these machines breakdown and how often is service called in the last 5 years?
We have only had to call out for service once in the last 10 years.

Please provide me with an up to date Organisational Structure chart for The Learning Disabilities Services .

The Organisational Structure chart for The Learning Disabilities Services is attached.HEFT LD Services

Please may I request under the Freedom of Information Act the following information,

Job description for your trusts Medical  Records Manager.

The agenda for change banding for The Health records Manager.

The job description for the Medical Records Manager is attached, the agenda for change banding is band 6. JD MRM

Locals are invited to attend a free health seminar about how to spot the signs of bladder cancer, which affects around 10,000 people in the United Kingdom every year.

Mr Vivek Wadhwa, consultant urological surgeonat Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, will be on hand to discuss treatment options currently available, key symptoms and the ‘Blood in Pee’ awareness campaign, encouraging anyone who spots blood in their urine to take immediate action.

Mr Wadhwa said: “Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. Don’t wait until you have spotted blood three or four times. The one time is enough – if you spot it, get it checked. You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting checked out.

“Bladder cancer is more common in older adults, with more than half of all new cases diagnosed in people aged 75 and above. The disease is also more common in men than in women, possibly because in the past, men were more likely to smoke and work in the manufacturing industry especially rubber and dyes.”

If you would like to attend the seminar on Wednesday 14 September at 5pm at Good Hope Hospital, please contact Sandra White, membership and community engagement manager, on 0121 424 1218 or email: membership@heartofengland.nhs.uk.

The Trust – which covers Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospital and Good Hope Hospital as well as some community based services – runs monthly health seminars to help raise awareness of a range of health conditions, as well as providing information about the treatment and support that is available.