The rules regarding Covid-19 in England are changing often and sometimes without much warning. As a public health body, we need to stick to stricter safety guidelines to prevent Covid-19 spread.

The advice given to healthcare workers like us is different from what the general public gets because our jobs expose us to higher risks. It's our extra responsibility to be careful in order to keep our patients and colleagues safe.

 Mask Rules:

  • Staff:
    • Wear masks upon request if working with inpatients or if there's a risk of infection.
  • Visitors:
    • Mask wearing is optional but will be requested in outbreak areas.
  • Patients:
    • Wear masks in shared areas if suspected or confirmed with COVID-19, if risk assessment allows.

 

Social Distancing and Ventilation:

  • Maintain a safe distance in inpatient areas.
  • Ventilate patient rooms and communal areas to reduce the risk of build up of the virus in the circulating air.  If it’s too cold to have the window open at all times ventilate the room by opening windows for 10 minutes every hour.

 

During an Outbreak:

  • Follow return to work and step down criteria protocols for COVID-19. Refer to ‘Outbreak Measure’s guidance’ on Covid-19 Intranet page

 

COVID-19 Symptoms:

  • High temperature, continuous cough, loss or change in taste or smell, among others.

 

If You Have Symptoms or Test Positive:

  1. Inform your manager and record self-isolation in ESR and HealthRoster.
  2. Stay home from Day 0 (day symptoms appear or test positive) to Day 5.
  3. Return to work on Day 6 if well, wearing a mask until Day 10.
  4. If still ill, stay home and contact your manager for guidance.

 

Testing:

  • Complete a LFT test ASAP if symptoms appear
  • Staff must always report LFT results on the Trust Internal system via the LFT Reporting Page

 

Ordering Kits:

  • All staff (including bank and agency) should now access LFD tests via the Trust stores route by ordering via e series.  Wards will order stocks for patient and staff use (speak to your manager who will arrange this).

 

Recording Isolation on HealthRoster:

  • Managers: Record staff isolation details.
  • Staff: Inform manager if self-isolating, can't work from home, or are sick due to COVID-19.

 

Household Contact:

  • Continue as normal unless symptoms develop, then follow the steps in the above section.

 

Inpatient Visiting:

  1. Visitors showing symptoms or feeling unwell should not visit.
  2. Special considerations are given for end-of-life visits, allowing close family and faith leaders to visit while minimizing infection risk​

 

 

Navigating through COVID-19 demands our adaptability to ensure everyone's safety. Your prompt identification and reporting of COVID-19 cases significantly aid in controlling outbreaks.

In addition, there has been a recent increase in COVID-19 cases nationally and changes to guidance on LFT ordering and universal mask-wearing.

Here's a simplified outline of new protocols and reminders to help manage the situation effectively at our Trust. 

Mask-Wearing:

  • Masks or face coverings are required at all times in outbreak areas. 
  • If eight or more wards have simultaneous outbreaks, everyone across all sites will be asked to wear masks if necessary. We will keep you informed and updated on any changes to this protocol as necessary.

 

Visiting Staff Planning:

  • Visit areas without outbreaks first to minimise virus spread
  • This is particularly essential as winter approaches, bringing other infections such as flu.

 

Ventilation:

  • Ventilate patient rooms, staff rooms and communal areas.
  • If it is too cold, open windows for 10 minutes every hour to refresh the air.

 

Cleaning:

  • Enhance cleaning frequency ideally to four times daily using a chlorine-based agent/Clinell wipes.
  • Book extra cleaning requirements on the Maximo system.

 

 

Testing:

  • Get tested only if symptomatic or instructed during outbreak management.
  • You can return to work on Day 6 post-COVID infection, ensure you are symptom-free and wear a mask on duty until Day 10 after your positive test.
  • Staff must always report LFT results on the Trust Internal system via the LFT Reporting Page
  • Patient COVID-19 test results — negative, positive or inconclusive must be reported via RIO for patients. Please click here for guidance

 

Risk Assessments:

  • Admitting doctors must assess all inpatients for COVID-19 risks within 24 hours using the RIO risk assessment tool, accessible here.
  • For vulnerable staff identified by the definition in the following link, managers must conduct risk assessments to ascertain infection risks and necessary precautions. The COVID-19 risk assessment can be found here.

 

Isolation and Outbreak Management:

  • Follow the steps in the attached outbreak checklist during an outbreak.
  • Ensure compliance with the Trust dress code, including Bare Below the Elbows, at all times, not only during outbreaks.

 

How to book your COVID-19 vaccination

 

If you need more vaccine information, Visit NHS England here for more details.

Please note: Our Trust is not able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, and you must update the Trust on your COVID-19 vaccination status by emailing bchft.covid19vaccine@nhs.net

Your Safety:

Your safety remains our top priority. Thank you for your continuous dedication and adherence to these updated protocols. For more details and resources, visit Latest COVID-19 Guidance

 

Our Trust is not able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, and you must update the Trust on your COVID-19 vaccination status by completing the following form 

To take the Covid Vaccine

  • You can book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination online or call 119.

  • Use textphone 18001, NHS 119 BSL interpreter service for communication or hearing difficulties.

  • Or attend one of the Pop up vaccine clinics available around the Black Country: Pop up vaccine clinic :: Black Country ICB

  • If you need more vaccine information, Visit NHS England here for more details.

 

Not having the vaccine? 

If you have decided not to take the Covid vaccination this year, kindly inform via the following form so that we can make necessary updates in our database.

Mask Rules for Staff:

  • If you work in the community or outpatient departments, you don't have to wear a face mask unless you want to.
  • If you work with inpatients, wear a face mask only if you want to or if the outbreak team tells you to.
  • In all clinical areas, wearing a face mask is up to you.
  • Always wear a mask if a patient or visitor asks you to, or in these situations:
    • If there's a chance of COVID-19 or other respiratory infections.
    • If a patient has a high infection risk because their immune system is weak.
    • If the outbreak team instructs you to.
  • When dealing with COVID-19 or respiratory care, wear a mask and visor as part of your protective gear.
  • If there's an outbreak or a concerning new COVID-19 variant, everyone must wear masks as advised by the infection control or public health team.

Mask Rules for Visitors:

  • Visitors and those coming with patients don't have to wear a face mask unless they want to.

Mask Rules for Patients:

  • Patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 should wear a mask in shared rooms and common areas if they can and it's safe.
  • Emergency or unplanned admissions should be checked for infection risk before entering a ward.
  • Patients with COVID-19 moving to another care area should wear a mask to help keep the virus from spreading, if they can tolerate it.
  • Don’t make patients wear a mask if it interferes with their treatment, like if they need oxygen or if it causes distress, especially in children or mental health settings.

Social Distancing:

  • Keep a safe distance from others in inpatient areas 

During an Outbreak:

  • If you had COVID-19, follow the return to work protocol.
  • Follow the step down criteria for COVID-19 positive patients.
  • The definition of an outbreak remains the same.

Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) in adults can include:

  • a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
  • shortness of breath
  • feeling tired or exhausted
  • an aching body
  • a headache
  • a sore throat
  • a blocked or runny nose
  • loss of appetite
  • diarrhoea
  • feeling sick or being sick

The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.

What to do if you think you have COVID-19:

  1. If you need to isolate, tell your manager and record your self-isolation in ESR and HealthRoster. The first day you feel sick or get a positive LFT result is Day 0.
  2. If your LFT test is positive, you don't need another test. Report your positive LFT result on the staff app and get more LFTs if you need them from your ward or stores, as the national system for reporting is now closed.
  3. Stay home and away from work until Day 5 (you don't need to get tested again).
  4. If you feel fine and don't have a fever without using Paracetamol, you can return to work on Day 6.
  5. Wear a mask at work until Day 10, counting from the test day as Day 0.
  6. If you're still sick, stay home until you're better. Talk to your manager if you have questions.

Remember:

  • Staff must always report LFT results on the Trust Internal system via the LFT Reporting Page.
  • If you have not received a unique kit key, you can register by clicking 'request a new login' or using your most recent kit key on the same link. 

Staff who are household contacts of a positive Covid-19 case can now continue as normal and do not need to take an LFT test if they remain asymptomatic. 

If staff develop symptoms or test positive for LFT - please refer to "What to do if you have Covid-19 symptoms and/or test positive on LFT" above. 

 

 For Managers:

  • If a staff member can't work from home and needs to self-isolate, record it in HealthRoster as sickness. 
  • You don't need to record anything if a staff member can work from home while self-isolating.
  • If a staff member gets a negative test but is still too sick to work, they should remain off work, and this is recorded on HealthRoster; the normal process applies for reporting absences over seven days.
  •  If a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, record the absence in HealthRoster using 'S27 Infec Dis – Infectious Diseases' as the reason and 'Covid-19 Positive Test' as the secondary reason, this will assist IPC teams in tracking the infection as we move into the winter period. 

 

For Staff:

  • If you're self-isolating because of COVID-19, can't work from home, or are too sick, tell your manager or ward lead immediately, following your local sickness reporting rules. 
  • Your manager will then record your self-isolation in HealthRoster. As sickness 

 

For detailed guidance on adding isolation in HealthRoster click here

The Trust is keeping some additional testing in place to protect staff with respiratory symptoms and staff in the event of an outbreak. This enables us to prevent onward transmission from staff to patients and to better assess and manage suspected outbreaks.

Rules for Staff Testing:

  1. When to Use LFT (Lateral Flow Test):
    • Only take an LFT if you have symptoms or if the outbreak team or infection control team asks you to.
  2. During a Suspected Outbreak:
    • If there’s a suspected outbreak, all staff (including temp and agency staff) should take a baseline LFT before starting work when prompted to do so. If you don’t have a test kit at home, you can test when you get to work.
  3. If You Have Symptoms:
    • If you are not at work and experience symptoms of COVID-19, it's advisable to take an LFT at home if you can. We are considering giving all staff a test kit from ward stock for the winter. Discussions are ongoing about how these kits will be managed and who will hold them for staff requests. We'll update this guidance once we agree on a procedure.
    • If you’re at work, take the LFT before leaving your work area.
  4. If You Test Positive for COVID-19:
    • You don’t need to take another LFT on day 5 and 6 before coming back to work.
    • If you feel okay and don’t have a fever without using Paracetamol, you can return to work on day 6. Make sure to wear a mask at work until day 10, counting the test day as day 0.
    • Please refer to "What to do if you have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive on LFT" on the Latest Covid-19 guidance page here.
    • A flow chart for staff have been developed to help when to test and what to do if you have a positive COVID-19 result is available on this link here.

 

Reporting Your LFT Result: A Step-by-Step Guide

As of 1 October 2023, Lateral Flow Test (LFT) kits are available for order through the internal stores system for both patients and staff, following the closure of the Government portal.

  1. Ordering Your Kit:

    • LFT kits can be ordered via the internal stores system.

  2. Reporting Your Result:

    • All staff are required to report their LFT results through the Trust Internal System.
    • Access the LFT Reporting Page here.

  3. Logging In:

    • Log in using your unique Kit Key and Date of Birth (DOB).
    • If you haven’t received a unique Kit Key, register by selecting ‘Request a New Login’ or use the most recent Kit Key issued to you.

  4. Adding a New Kit:

    • Once logged in, register each new kit you collect by selecting ‘+ Add a New Testing Kit.’

  5. Completing the Form:

    • Fill out the form provided; all necessary details can be found on the side of your LFT kit.

  6. Submitting Your Result:

    • Click on your most recent LFT kit to be directed to the results submission page.
    • Complete the required fields in the form and click ‘Submit Result.’

Important Note: In the event of a positive Lateral Flow Test result, there is no need to take a PCR test. Please commence self-isolation immediately.

In April 2023, changes were made to the National Guidance for COVID-19. As a result, there is now an updated approach to testing and surveillance for COVID-19. 

The Trust is keeping some additional testing in place for service users with respiratory symptoms and, in the event of an outbreak, to help us to prevent onward transmission of COVID-19 and to assess and manage suspected outbreaks. 

 

Update to testing service users

  • You no longer need to take confirmatory PCR for COVID-19.
  • You no longer need to retest positive cases by LFT to release from isolation and outbreak measures on day 5 or 6.
  • Service users will require review on Day 6 (no repeat testing required) if asymptomatic; well with no temperature, precautions can be lifted after cleaning the room.
  • Request service users wear a mask when leaving their room or mixing with others until Day 10, where Day 0 is the Day of the test.

Asymptomatic testing will remain for the following; 

  • Any patient discharged to another care setting (care home) still require an LFT test to be completed 48 hours before discharge.
  • Internal patient transfers require an LFT before moving.
  • Prevalence testing as directed by the outbreak management or infection prevention and control team. LFT test all inpatients as a baseline if an outbreak is suspected (even if asymptomatic).
  • Elective admissions for ECT are to complete LFT before the procedure.

Supporting flow chart

A summary of changes and flowchart for COVID-19 Testing and Care Management – Inpatient settings to guide staff can be found here

Other important changes

The NHS is offering treatments to those people with COVID-19 who are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill and aged 12 years or above. Not all treatments are suitable for people aged 12 to 17 years. This is through referral to the Clinical Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU)

  • All service users will be assessed at clerking to establish if they meet the criterion for people at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from a respiratory infection, including CoVID-19.
  • Referral to Clinical Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) only needs to occur if the service user has a COVID-19 infection and is unwell or not recovering. If their condition warrants transfer to secondary care, this should be arranged as usual and without delay.  

Assessment tool

A COVID-19 Treatments Assessment Tool April 2023 will support and guide staff and can be found here.

Please note

All symptomatic patient LFT results, whether negative, positive or inconclusive, must be uploaded to the government portal via Rio. In addition, Rio must be used to record every LFT taken and the results; if you require help with submitting LFT results via Rio contact bchft.infectioncontrol@nhs.net and you will be advised how to record pending changes to the system.

Patient Lateral Flow tests are now available to order via the PPE catalogue on e-series via the link here. Lateral Flow Tests can be ordered with your usual PPE or as required. However, these are only used for symptomatic patient testing or if directed by IPCT.

Staff can no longer order swabs from the government portal unless they are identified as vulnerable to infection or work with extremely vulnerable patients such as in a hospice.   

All staff (including bank and agency) should now access LFD tests via the Trust stores route by ordering via e series to provide a stock to wards and departments (speak to your manager who will arrange this).

Remember:

  • Staff must always report LFT results on the Trust Internal system via the LFT Reporting Page.
  • If you have not received a unique kit key, you can register by clicking 'request a new login' or using your most recent kit key on the same link. 

Patient COVID-19 test results — negative, positive or inconclusive must be reported via RIO for patients. Please click here for guidance

Guidelines for Safe Visits

In order to ensure a safe and secure environment for both our patients and staff, we have established a risk-managed approach to inpatient visits. We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines:

    • Patients with infections should still receive visitors
    • Patients who are unwell due to an infection or are on a ward that is affected by an outbreak should still have visitors. On very rare occasions, this may be restricted by the Infection Control Team.
  2. Health Precautions:
    • We kindly request visitors displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, respiratory symptoms, diarrhoea and/or vomiting or feeling unwell to refrain from visiting.
  3. Infection Prevention & Control:
    • Visitors are urged to adhere to infection prevention and control guidelines. However, conducting a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) prior to visitation is not mandatory.
  4. Face Mask Requirements:
    • Should you visit an outbreak area, or in case of a universal mask-wearing mandate on site, wearing a surgical facemask is required.
  5. Visitor Limitations:
    • Consideration must be given to the number of visitors per patient at any given time to ensure good ventilation, maintain social distancing especially during outbreak conditions, and facilitate the smooth functioning of our facilities.
    • Wards will have designated protected times with patients during meal times and ward rounds.
  6. Accompanying Patients:
    • During diagnostic or outpatient appointments, patients may be accompanied by a visitor or family member as per usual practice.
    • Your adherence to these guidelines helps us maintain a safe environment for everyone. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The latest Covid-19 risk assessment document for staff can be downloaded on the following link here

A COVID-19 Treatments Assessment Tool will support and guide staff for patient assessment and can be found here 

Had your COVID jab this year? Tell us when and how.

Our Trust is not able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, and you must update the Trust on your COVID-19 vaccination status by completing the form below

Declaring your CoVID Autumn Booster status

Our Trust is not able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, and you must update the Trust on your COVID-19 vaccination status by completing the form below

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