Last updated on April 2nd, 2020 at 04:18 pm
Thank you for your continued hard work we appreciate all your efforts at this challenging time.
Please remember the staff intranet is the place to find the latest Covid related information. National guidance for healthcare workers can be found here
Covid Cabinet continues to meet daily at 10.30am today’s updates are below:
Donations
Whilst we are extremely grateful to our local community for their support during these unprecedented times, we must ask that staff DO NOT encourage donations from members of the public to be dropped off at our hospitals.
Bringing external deliveries into the Trust is creating non-essential journeys for those people, which is against Government guidance and may result in them being fined.
All donations are being co-ordinated by Claire Simmo, Community Fundraiser. if you are contacted by people wishing to donate items to our staff, please ask them to contact Claire who will arrange collection on claire.simmo@sthk.nhs.uk or 0151 478 7568
Social Distancing
We understand that social distancing may not be possible in clinical situations but at all other times eg when arriving at work, walking from the car park, walking around the hospitals, or on breaks etc Please keep your distance!
Guidance is as follows: stay 2m apart, 2 people in a lift and 1 person through the revolving doors at any one time.
Face masks
There are 3 different types of FFP3 face mask in use at the Trust, see photographs below.
If you are fit tested for the 3M Aura 1863+ you do not need additional fit testing for the 3m 1873V
As these 2 masks are the same shape
1863+
1873V
3M8833
You do need additional fit testing for the 3M8833 mask
Surgical masks
All surgical masks provided at the Trust are equivalent standard and provide equivalent protection. These can be used interchangeably
PPE
When doing aerosol generating procedures on any patients (regardless of whether suspected or confirmed Covid) in high risk areas (ED, AMU, ICU and Covid cohort wards) staff must wear enhanced PPE i.e. long sleeved disposable gown, gloves, FFP3 mask, eye protection (goggles or visor).
Self-isolation forms
Please can all managers follow the correct guidance when completing self-isolation forms
- 1 person per form
- All fields completed
- Ensure the form is ONLY sent to self.isolation@sthk.nhs.uk
Please do not send to individuals in HWWB as this will delay the screening and prioritisation process.
Scrubs
The Trust has plenty of scrubs and more coming, the laundry service is running as normal and staff are reminded to leave scrubs at work to be laundered in the usual way.
When to re-test patients
If a patient test result is negative but there is a high suspicion of COVID-19 (such as clinical and radiological features suggestive of it and/or contact with a confirmed case) then staff must repeat the test (ideally on lower respiratory tract sample if possible) 48-72h after the initial sample before stopping isolation precautions.
Communicating results
Positive results for any patients who have already returned home or been discharged are to be communicated to the patient by the Department/Ward that initiated the test. This also needs to include advice on family members self-isolating.
Covid related clinical decisions
Services are reminded that they should not issue guidance about the care of COVID patients to either staff or patients unless it has been reviewed and approved at Covid cabinet and/or Director level. It is vital for the Trust to have a consistent approach across different care settings based on the evidence based guidance.
Palliative Care
Guidance on palliative care and end of life medication is being developed and will be issued as soon as possible.
#HiddenHospitalHeroes
Today’s heroes are our Simulation Team, Mark & Liam!
The simulation team are providing vital on the spot training for staff. With the help of ‘sim man’ they are creating real-life scenarios to ensure our staff are fully trained and prepared for the pandemic.
Thank you so much for your heroic efforts 🙂
