COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure for NHS staff now implemented as NHS England release guidance.
The newest guidance from NHS now reflects the changes to the UK Health Security Agency’s COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings guidelines.
We have to test, we don’t have to test, we have to isolate, we don’t have to isolate, how many days do we isolate for again? What if we are vaccinated? What if we are not fully vaccinated yet? Anyone else feel like the rules have constantly been changing?
But all jokes aside, testing is still an important part of infection prevention control in patient facing settings. The guidelines apply to staff who are working in NHS organisations.
Staff testing aims to protect patients, staff, support the NHS in its infection control risk reduction strategy, reduce staff COVID-related absences and it supports both COVID-19 and non COVID_19 clinical pathways.
NHS staff who are symptomatic should test themselves using LFDs which will continue to be accessible through the gov.uk portal for staff in England with symptoms.
If the LFD result is positive, the staff member should self-isolate for five days but are no longer required to take a PCR test for further confirmation.
If the LFD test result is negative, staff can attend work as long as they feel well enough and do not have a high temperature.
Furthermore, staff working in patient-facing roles should continue to test twice weekly with LFD tests when they are asymptomatic. Testing should be done in line with their shift pattern, before attending work.
It is essential we don’t become too relaxed with these guidelines in patient facing roles. Everyone has a responsibility to keep one another safe.
Read the full guidance on here