Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 11:43 am
In today’s update:
- Changes to inpatient testing procedures – effective immediately
- Current staff COVID testing procedures remain in place
- All other current infection prevention measures remain in place
- Changes to COVID outbreak definition and management
- Scrubs
Changes to inpatient testing procedures – effective immediately
Repeat testing of patients who have a negative admission screen
Any inpatients who test negative on their admission screen on day 1, should be retested by PCR on day 3 of admission (day of admission is taken as day 1).
Then, unless the patient is found to be positive, repeat screening should be undertaken on day 7.
Patients who are awaiting this repeat test result but who do not have clinical features of COVID-19 do NOT need isolation in side rooms (unless they also have another reason to require this e.g. another infectious disease requiring isolation precautions or infection alert such as MRSA/VRE/CPE).
Further testing after day 7 of admission is not routinely indicated unless the patient develops new symptoms of COVID-19, as a part of outbreak screening advised by the Infection Prevention Team, prior to a planned aerosol generating procedure (AGP) or required for the purposes of discharge to a care home.
Currently there are no other changes to pre-existing patient testing protocols. Full details of guidance on COVID testing of patients can be found at https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/current-case-definition-and-assessment-flow-chart/.
Current staff COVID testing procedures remain in place
The current staff testing procedures remain in place, and staff should continue to follow current self-isolation procedures, should they test positive for COVID-19: https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/self-isolation-guidance/
LFD tests continue to be available free to frontline NHS staff through the gov.uk portal: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. Staff are advised to have at least a 5 day supply available at home at all times.
Any changes to the above will be communicated to staff before they come into effect. Please keep up-to-date via the staff COVID update emails, and via the staff COVID website: https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/
All other current infection prevention measures remain in place
All other infection prevention safety measures remain in place, including the use of appropriate PPE in all areas: https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/what-to-wear-and-when/
Staff should continue to wear surgical face masks in and around Trust premises, social distance and work from home where possible.
Changes to COVID outbreak definition and management
If two or more cases of COVID (where at least one case has been identified on or after day eight of hospital admission, if day of admission is day 1) are linked in time and place within 14 days, an outbreak investigation will be conducted, and an outbreak may be declared.
If an outbreak is declared, all patients and staff working in that area will be swabbed for PCR testing on that day, (or when staff are next on duty) regardless of symptoms.
Patients known to be positive for COVID during the current admission do not need swabbing unless they have new symptoms.
Staff must record on the request form:
Location = HWWB/and ward where outbreak has occurred
Mobile telephone number
Clinical information = Ward (add ward identifier) outbreak
Staff who have been previously COVID positive in the last 90 days do not need screening unless they develop new symptoms.
Staff only need to be swabbed once at the beginning of the outbreak, there is no longer a requirement to repeat swabbing every 7 days. If any staff develop new symptoms, they must be tested by PCR.
Patients only need to be swabbed on the day the outbreak is declared unless they are still requiring their routine admission screening swabs on days 3 and 7. Any patients who develop new symptoms must be swabbed.
The outbreak will be declared closed when the ward achieves clearance of 14 days since the last case (staff or patient), related to the outbreak.
Scrubs
Staff are reminded that scrubs are to be left at the hospitals to be cleaned by the laundry service, in line with the Trust’s Infection Prevention Guidance.
Please do NOT travel to and from the hospital wearing scrubs.