COVID-19 Update 23

Staff Testing & Following Guidance

Introduction

It has been some time since I last sent a COVID Communications bulletin directly to all staff in the organisation, outlining our operational response and providing important information specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that in the intervening period over summer, as many of you as possible have had the chance to take some time off, recharge and relax.

As you will no doubt be aware, newly reported cases of COVID-19 have been increasing across the country since the start of September. This is a reminder that COVID-19 is still here and we need to remain vigilant. Autumn and Winter may well be as challenging for us – possibly more so – than the Spring.

I wanted to reassure all our staff that the senior team have not been complacent in our planning over the last few months:

1. The system winter plan is in its final stages of production – with significant additional resources being planned in the acute and community settings.
2. We have a plentiful supply of PPE in Combined Healthcare and contingency stocks should our supply be disrupted for any reason.
3. We have worked to make as many of our buildings 'COVID-secure' spaces, with clear social distancing instructions and procedures for limiting the chances of the spread of infection.

My deepest thanks go to all of those who have been involved in the above over the last 2–3 months and to all our staff who have helped keep each other safe by completing the multitude of risk assessments, personal plans and team working plans – all of which ensure we can continue to run our services safely and effectively.

In today’s update, I want to communicate important information to staff on the following topics:

1. COVID-19 Testing for Staff
2. Social Distancing & PPE Update – New Guidance
3. Working Practices
4. Car Sharing & Travel

Thank you and take care,
Jonathan
 

COVID-19 Testing for Staff

The capacity constraints on the national testing system for COVID-19 have been well publicised in recent days.

If you or a member of your household has symptoms of COVID-19, you must self-isolate for at least 10 days from when the symptoms started and all household members should follow government guidance on isolation, which can differ depending on whether you are the person who is symptomatic.

You should then arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19. Please go to the national testing site to arrange this as soon as symptoms develop. You will need to persist with the website due to the national issues with capacity – appointments are released gradually.

If you are unable to get a local or home test, the Trust will be conducting ‘drive in’ testing for symptomatic staff and their household members, including symptomatic children, until more capacity is made available on the national system. These drive-in clinics will be held three times per week as we are keen to ensure you are able – depending on result – to go to work, attend school and carry on with daily life.   

Please report your absence to your line manager who will complete the absence reporting form. You will then be contacted by a member of the ICC to confirm if you have been tested or require an appointment with our IPC team. You will be contacted with your results within 48 hours and you should discuss this with your line manager and then follow the national guidance. (What your test results mean.)

We are taking access to testing for our staff very seriously and will do all we can to ensure access, if available, for our staff and their households.
 

Social Distancing and PPE – New Guidance

It is still essential that all staff follow all Trust guidelines regarding social distancing and the wearing of PPE. Services users must also be encouraged to follow guidelines appropriately. This is essential to protect you, your families and services users.

Our buildings and areas have been risk assessed and notices for room occupancy displayed e.g. office space. Hand sanitiser and masks are readily available with other PPE as required.

The important announcement for today is that, as an additional precaution, the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory in all indoor areas of the Trust from, at the latest, Monday 21 September 2020. The only exception to this is where a staff member is in a room alone. Staff should implement this measure as soon as they are made aware of this requirement.

This new measure has been coordinated across all local NHS Trusts. PPE supplies will be increased to all areas to account for this new guidance.
 

Working Practices

I wanted to take this opportunity to remind staff about working practices that allow us to continue to deliver our services whilst keeping our staff and service users safe. I reiterate the guidance below:

1. In person face-to-face assessments and care can be undertaken in community facilities for all service users when required. This includes urgent and routine cases of all ages where a physical face-to-face consultation would be preferential to a digital one. Digital video contact still remains our default preferred option if this method allows a safe level of assessment and effective care to be provided. When seeing service users in person, staff should adhere to social distancing guidance and utilise PPE in line with guidance on the COVID intranet page. PPE is available in all community sites.
2. Staff can use community facilities to work, providing risk assessments are completed for the premises and staff. Your team leaders and service managers will be able to inform you when this is complete. All staff should continue to adhere to social distancing guidance (2 metres) and utilise PPE (in particular, a face mask).
3. Continuing to work from home remains a perfectly good option for the many of our staff and we would encourage staff to continue to do so where possible. This will continue to be agreed through line management structures and personal plans. It will facilitate social distancing within sites via fewer staff being present at once. Arrangements for the number of staff in individual sites at one time have been agreed and signage distributed to all sites to make this clear.
4. All teams categorised patients using a risk-based approach during the initial wave of the pandemic and continue to do so. It is expected that all patients categorised as highest risk continue to receive face-to-face reviews and interventions and this can be done via either digital means or in person.
5. The Trust is recommending that all clinicians consider the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown in all assessments and reviews. Clinicians are encouraged to openly discuss such issues with service users under their care, recognising that recent events will have affected the lives and the mental health of many of our service users.
6. All discharges from inpatient care should be made using a CPA approach in line with Trust policy on care plans and fully involve home treatment and community teams as required. In particular, wards are asked to ensure community teams and families and carers are involved in all discharge plans.
    

Car Sharing & Travel

Safe measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 are only achieved when staff either socially distance or wear appropriate PPE

Staff who car share or travel together for work purposes must be aware of, and comply with, the following:

• Anyone who is from the same social ‘bubble’ e.g. family do not need to wear masks when travelling together.
• Staff who car share to and from work, need to wear masks, as socially distancing in a car environment is usually not achievable.
• Staff who are in teams but need to do a home visit or other work-related travel must wear a mask as socially distancing in a car environment is usually not achievable

If staff are in any doubt they MUST wear a mask.

Please note that a COVID-secure working environment does not negate the appropriate use of social distancing and/or use of PPE if required.

Every time we get it right, we reduce risk and of course, every time we get it wrong or lapse, we are putting ourselves and others at risk. Thank you for all your hard work; it does make a positive difference.