13 January 2022
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust has welcomed in the New Year by enhancing its compassionate leave for staff and has become the first NHS Trust in the UK to sign the Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge.
By signing the pledge, which forms part of a wider support package now available during the times staff need it most, anyone who experiences pregnancy loss is now entitled to 10 days paid leave (five days for partners) and paid time off is available for any appointments linked to pregnancy loss.
UHCW NHS Trust has also joined eight NHS organisations in signing the ‘Employers with a Heart’ Charter. As part of this, maternity leave for mothers of premature babies has been extended by the number of days a baby is born before their due date and partners of women will be given two weeks paid compassionate leave on the birth of their premature baby so paternity leave can be taken when their baby goes home.
Other additional measures introduced to support the health and wellbeing of staff include:
Donna Griffiths, Chief People Officer, said: “The wellbeing of our teams is extremely important and we want each and every one of colleagues to feel supported during the difficult periods in their lives which we can all experience. We hope the changes to compassionate leave introduced will give everyone at UHCW NHS Trust the same care and consideration that they provide every day to our patients and helps them during the times when they need it the most.”
Ruth Bender Atik, National Director of the Miscarriage Association, said: “The Miscarriage Association is delighted to support UHCW’s pregnancy loss policy. UHCW NHS Trust is a recognised centre of excellence for miscarriage care and research and a wonderful exemplar of our Pregnancy Loss Pledge, demonstrating care for their staff as well as for their patients.”
Catriona Ogilvy, Founder of The Smallest Things, said: “We are delighted that University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust has signed up to our Employer with Heart charter, particularly as our Trustee Matt has such a special connection with them.
"We know that having a premature baby on a neonatal unit can mean caring for your baby under very stressful circumstances, often long term, and this time should not be considered maternity or paternity leave.
"Relieving the pressures of work and money on families of premature babies is at the very heart of our ‘Employer with Heart charter’ and now employees of UHCW NHS Trust will not have those worries if they have a premature baby of their own.”
To find out more information about the changes, please watch our video here.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.