Today’s cabinet update is below:
Silver Command:
Silver Command telephone and email have now been stepped down. All operational queries should now be directed to the Covid Helpline (Bronze Command) tel: 0151 676 5530
PPE disposal
Please do not dispose of PPE (including surgical masks) in street litter bins outside the hospital
- Staff are reminded that all PPE should be disposed of in a ORANGE clinical waste bag and not in the general waste stream (black bags).
- Staff working in clinical areas should remove and dispose of PPE before leaving the area as instructed.
- Any staff wearing PPE in circulation areas or on the site boundaries should not dispose of the PPE in the street litter bins on the public highway.
Rapid COVID-19 tests (performed at the Whiston Microbiology Laboratory) are now available for:
1. Patients that are to be discharged to care homes.
2. Pre-operative patients having urgent elective surgery for cancer.
These can be requested on Medway under COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus PCR.
There is now a drop down box to select the test required as shown below;
Use COVID-19 clearance swab (COVIDX) to request a rapid test for patients prior to discharge to care home.
Use COVID 19 pre-op swab (COVIDP) to request a rapid test for patients prior to urgent elective cancer surgery.
For all other patients, use COVID-19 screen (COVID). These tests will be processed by the regional reference laboratory (i.e. not a rapid test).
Note that current availability of rapid tests is limited hence these should only be used as stated above.
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Uniform and scrub laundry service
All staff working in clinical areas at Whiston Hospital are able to change out of their own clothes and into their workwear on site.
A central temporary staff changing room is available in the Therapy Suite, Level 1, Whiston Hospital. Lockers are available to safely store belongings – the changing rooms are staffed between 6.30am and 9.30pm and the staff will allocate locker keys.
Staff wearing their normal uniforms can have their uniforms laundered in the hospital. Further information explaining the uniform laundry process and turnaround times are available from the staff based in the staff changing area.
Those staff wearing scrubs can collect new scrubs in the changing area each day and after finishing their shift can change out of their scrubs which will be collected from the changing area and put into the laundry service.
Self-isolation forms
Managers are reminded that if a member of staff is absent either due to themselves or a member of their household developing symptoms of Covid-19, the a self-isolation form must be completed and submitted to: self.isolation@sthk.nhs.uk. .
More information and management guidance can be found on the staff Covid website page: https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/management-guidance/
(password: STHKcovid19)
Shared Care Record
The St Helens Cares Shared Care Record now has a Shielded Patient alert for patients that fall into this category. Upon clicking the Shared Care Record for a patient, the following alert will be presented before the patient’s full record is displayed:
Please take necessary precautions if this alert is displayed.
For further information or any questions, please email SharedCareRecord.Admin@sthk.nhs.uk
Changes which impact on your April 2020 pay
You may already have heard about a number of changes being made to your terms and conditions to ensure that NHS employees are protected and supported during the COVID-19 pandemic including the following:
- Car Park Charges
- Direct Earning Attachment Orders (DEAs)
- Pay for COVID-19 Sickness Absence, Self-Isolation and Shielding
- Pay for COVID-19 Redeployment
- Payment Dates
- Payslips and P45s
To help you understand this more and how it impacts on your pay in April and during COVID-19, further information is available on the Employment Services page on the Staff Covid Website
(Password: STHKcovid19)
#NHSCovidHero
He might not be wearing a cape but Dr Michael Horner is today’s NHS Covid Hero!
His energy, clinical leadership and positive approach has recently been invaluable in bringing together clinicians from across Frailty, Community Matrons and District Nursing to increase the practical support we provide in care homes across St Helens. Well done Michael!
