Thank you all for your attention to the recent email updates and also your patience whilst we work to ensure business and service continuity during the present outbreak of coronavirus. I can confirm that the Trust’s Incident Management Room is now fully operational in Room 22, Management Corridor, Harplands Hospital. From this room, we are coordinating our Trust-wide response to the coronavirus outbreak and actions that will be taken to keep our services running and support our NHS and local authority partners over the coming weeks and months. We have had a number of queries through the COVID Questions email facility from staff(covid.questions@combined.nhs.uk) which could have been answered by line managers or via the existing guidance which has been published. Please refer to these prior to submitting queries. There is lots of information in the update emails already sent out and the links available via the Trust’s coronavirus COVID-19 intranet page. Please ensure you have tried these sources prior to asking questions so that we can keep responses moving quickly. As you may have seen on the news, the government last night announced a significant range of new guidance. Today we need to brief you on the following issues: - Latest HR / Manager guidance
- Updated Isolation Procedures
- Inpatient and Community Flow Charts
- Patient Visiting Times / Restrictions
Latest HR / Manager guidance
Please note that new manager guidance (v6) supersedes the previous management guidance (v4) The COVID-19 Incident Management Group meeting on 16th March 2020 agreed the following updates to aid managers in managing all staff: - Carry over of annual leave at the end of the leave year will be extended to up to 10 days
for all staff. This can be arranged via line managers.
- All other annual leave requests will be reviewed and authorised in line with normal policy provisions (3.03 Compassionate and Special Leave) taking into account service needs and to ensure that staff have sufficient rest and recuperation throughout the year.
- At the current time, any bank workers who have booked shifts that need to self-isolate or have symptoms will be paid occupational sick pay provisions as specified in 3.11 Supporting Attendance at Work Policy.
- Substantive staff (including those with additional booked bank shifts) that self-isolate or have symptoms will be paid in line with previous guidance issued. This will be classed as sickness when self-isolation is linked to the onset of symptoms,
regardless of travel history or contact with confirmed cases. This will be paid in line with normal occupational sick pay provisions as specified in 3.11 Supporting Attendance at Work Policy.
- Symptoms relating to Covid-19 (Coronavirus) will be recorded as sickness absence but will not be counted towards any trigger points that invoke the formal stages of the 3.11 Supporting Attendance at Work Policy.
- Following the Prime Minister’s update on 16th March 2020 (Click here), new guidance has been issued for the public and the most up to date NHS guidance can be found by clicking here, including Stay at home advice.
- When staff report their absence linked to Coronavrius, managers must make sure that the relevant absence recording system (whether that be EASY or HealthRoster) is updated promptly once they have been notified. This is critical as reports will be generated from these systems in order to assess the most up to date safe
staffing levels for our patients and staff welfare.
- Occupational Health have issued new guidance for our managers (click here)
-
Updated isolation procedures
Symptoms The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of: - new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. On 16th March 2020 the Government made some significant and important updates to the self-isolation guidance. The full guidance can be found HERE But please take time to review the key points below. - if you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started. (Click here for guidance on ending isolation)
- if you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became
ill
- it is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
- for anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14 day isolation period. (See ending isolation guidance for more information)
- if you can, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
- if you cannot move vulnerable people out of your home, stay away from them as much as possible
If you have coronavirus symptoms: - do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital
- you do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home
- testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home
- plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at
home and consider what can be done for vulnerable people in the household
- ask your employer, friends and family to help you to get the things you need to stay at home
- wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser
- if you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use
the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999
Inpatient and Community Flow Charts
New Inpatient and Community Flow Charts have been uploaded to the Trust’s coronavirus COVID-19 intranet page. Please consult these as they replace existing guidance. The new guidance covers - SOP 1 - presentation of the Symptomatic MH and LD patient in the community
- SOP 2 - presentation of the Symptomatic patient COVID-19 in In-Patient Environments
- SOP 3 - Isolation of a Singular Patient on an Inpatient ward
- SOP 4 - Ward Containment
- SOP 5 - Advice for staff following patient contact (positive or symptomatic) in all care settings
Patient Visiting Times / Restrictions
The following guidance is being displayed as a poster/handout in wards from today In order to protect the safety of our patients, staff and our community please note that routine visiting times are being disrupted at Harplands Hospital. We would respectfully request you to consider the changes we have made to members of the public visiting patients in the Trust. - If you think you may have symptoms of Coronavirus do not visit the hospital.
- Visiting times are strictly from 6pm to 8pm. Any exceptions must be agreed in advance with the nurse in charge
- Strictly maximum 2 visitors per patient per day.
- No visitors under the age of 16 years.
- Wash your hands and use hand gel when entering and leaving the ward.
We know how important the presence of carers, relatives and friends is to our patients. We always promote person-centred visiting to ensure patients feel supported and their loved ones included. These restrictions may seem strict, but we hope you understand everyone is
facing a serious global threat to health. We have a duty to protect everyone at our hospitals.
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