UNITE warned today that “systematic failures” by outsourcing giant Mitie could expose staff and patients to Covid-19 at a West Midlands hospital.
The union condemned the company for running a “laissez-faire” regime with regards to pandemic health and safety measures at Dudley hospital, where it holds a facility management contract with the NHS Dudley Hospital Trust.
Mitie’s staff are not confined to the firm’s hospital headquarters but work throughout all Dudley Group buildings, greatly increasing concerns about cross-contamination, Unite said.
The union has identified a number of other major concerns with Mitie’s practices including a lack of social distancing, ventilation, and hand sanitiser, a failure to require staff and visitors to sign in, and poor security.
5 hours ago
A Dudley woman who was first diagnosed with debilitating arthritis at the age of just 37 has turned to art to help manage her condition and give her a focus.
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Bev Thomas, centre, with husband Mark and rheumatology clinical nurse specialist Sarah Scriven, and some of her paintings
Bev Thomas, 58, paints for at least an hour most days and says it helps with her symptoms while also allowing her to forget about her condition for a while.
And her hospital consultant says her art can act as an inspiration to others to be positive about their illness.
Bev Thomas (centre) with husband Mark and rheumatology clinical nurse specialist Sarah Scriven, and some of her paintings. Pic - Dudley Group A DUDLEY woman who was diagnosed with debilitating arthritis at the age of just 37 has turned to art to help manage her condition and give her a focus. Bev Thomas paints for at least an hour most days and says it helps with her symptoms while also allowing her to forget about her condition for a while. Determined not to let arthritis take over her life, Bev, aged 58, said: You can either sink or swim in life and I choose to swim.
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A KINGSWINFORD supermarket is helping children to sow seeds of hope to signify new beginnings when going home from hospital. Morrison’s, Kingswinford, has teamed up with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust to start the Seeds of Hope initiative. The supermarket has generously donated packets of sunflower seeds to the children’s ward at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, so young patients can grow their own sunflowers once back at home. Julie Dale, play specialist for the children’s ward at the Dudley Group, thanked Morrisons for the donation and said: “This is a fantastic way to bring the community together after what has been a difficult year for us all.