Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

26/08/2026

Happy ! 🐾

Today we're celebrating the incredible dogs who bring comfort, companionship and smiles to patients, families and staff across our hospitals.

From Flash the Westie, whose regular visits help brighten days and reduce anxiety for patients across our wards, to Barney the Maltese and the other wonderful therapy dogs who give their time so generously, these four-legged volunteers make a real difference every day.

Sometimes the best medicine comes with a wagging tail. 🐶

24/08/2026

More than 250 young people have been helping to shape the future of healthcare across Sandwell and West Birmingham.

Through our Youth Space programme, young people have been getting a unique behind-the-scenes look at the NHS – while making a genuine difference to the experience of our patients.

From seeing services through a patient’s eyes as part of the 15 Steps Challenge, to supporting patients with our Anti-boredom boxes, learning lifesaving resuscitation skills and developing confidence for future healthcare careers, they’re doing much more than simply observing.

Most importantly, their voices and experiences are helping us understand what matters to young people and how we can make our services even better.

23/08/2026

Clinical Team of the Year 🏆

Our Trauma & Orthopaedics team have been recognised for the incredible work they’ve delivered over the past year – eliminating 52-week wait, reducing the overall waiting list, and improving theatre productivity.

A fantastic example of teamwork, innovation, and a real focus on improving patient care 💙

22/08/2026

60 seconds with Barrie 🎤

Join Barrie as he gives us a glimpse of his role as a Pharmacy Assistant and shows us some of the advanced technology that supports our Pharmacy teams 🏥

18/08/2026

We’re proud to have been shortlisted in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026 for our work implementing Martha’s Rule.

Our Patient Wellness Questionnaire helps ensure patients and families are heard when they have concerns about a change in condition, supporting earlier recognition and escalation.

A fantastic achievement for colleagues across the Trust who have helped embed this important patient safety work.

17/08/2026

📣 Help shape the future of Allied Health Professional services

We want to hear from patients, carers and members of the public about what matters most when accessing services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics and podiatry.

Join our online workshop and share your experiences and ideas to help shape future AHP services.

📅 Tuesday 18 August
🕑 2pm–3pm
💻 Microsoft Teams

📧 To book your place, email [email protected]

16/08/2026

Meet Clare Nash, our Head of Clinical Products Management, and a champion of greener futures 💚

Clare’s exceptional leadership is turning NHS Net Zero ambitions into action - driving procurement innovation, reusable alternatives and measurable carbon reductions across high-volume clinical products.

13/08/2026

60 seconds with Anita 🎤

Meet Anita, a Staff Nurse on our Adult Surgical Unit, as she talks about her role and what she enjoys most about nursing 💙

13/08/2026

🔥 Please think twice before lighting a BBQ or garden fire.

With the current hot, dry conditions, even a small spark or ember can quickly spread and cause a serious fire.

We’re supporting our colleagues at West Midlands Fire Service in asking people to avoid BBQs, fire pits, chimineas and garden fires for now.

As well as protecting homes, gardens and green spaces, taking extra care can help prevent serious burns and smoke-related injuries and avoid unnecessary pressure on our emergency services.

Stay safe and help keep others safe too.

✋ Given how hot and dry things are right now, please hold off on garden fires and BBQs.
Not to mention fire pits, chimeneas, braziers, incinerators. Anything that creates flames, heat or sparks.
It doesn't take much for embers to catch, on dry grass, leaves and the like.
And conditions like this make it far easier for a contained fire to become something much bigger, very quickly.
Honestly, if it can wait, let it.
Thanks to everyone who's helping us keep fire risk down🔥🙏

12/08/2026

🌒 Can’t get hold of eclipse glasses? You can still enjoy today’s eclipse safely.

With certified eclipse glasses difficult to find, the safest option is not to look directly at the Sun at all. Instead, watch the eclipse indirectly using a simple projector.

☀️ Make a pinhole projector using a piece of card with a small hole in it. With your back to the Sun, allow the sunlight to pass through the hole and project the image onto paper or another surface.

🥄 Grab a colander from the kitchen. Stand with your back to the Sun and let the light shine through the holes onto the ground or a piece of paper – you should see lots of tiny images of the eclipse.

Most importantly, don’t risk your eyesight.

❌ Don’t look directly at the Sun – even for a few seconds.
❌ Don’t rely on ordinary sunglasses.
❌ Don’t use eclipse glasses that are scratched, creased or damaged.

Please share this with anyone planning to watch the eclipse later today. 🌒