According to Public Health England, the most common symptoms of coronavirus (covid-19) are the recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature. It has been advised that if one person in any household suffers symptoms (new continuous cough or fever), then everyone living there must self-isolate for 14 days. Should a household member develop coronavirus symptoms late in the 14-day household isolation period, then the isolation period does not need to be extended; however, the person with the new symptoms will need to remain home for seven days
You do not need to contact NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms get worse during home isolation or are no better after seven days, then you can contact NHS 111 online. If you haven’t got internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency, dial 999.
Public Health England advice to reduce the risk of contracting the virus and the risk of spreading it, the following procedures must be followed.
Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce the social interaction between people. This will help to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). They are:
Government Updated – Staying Alert and Safe can be found here
Staff should wash their hands:
For the safety of staff and all service users. Trent Nursing is advising those informed to self-isolate by NHS 111 to immediately contact the office via text message on 07537417705, email admin@trentnursing.com or telephone 03335773155 to cancel your shifts for the next 14 days, informing the office that this is due TO CORONAVIRUS ISOLATION. You will be restricted from booking further changes until the end of your isolation period.
It is vitally important that you do not attend work if advised to self-isolate, as this will put your fellow staff and our patients at risk.
Please note that the situation is changing daily, and this advice may also change as things progress. Trent Nursing team will keep you up to date as we receive new information from the Public Health England and expert advice.
Our primary objective is to minimise risk to our staff, clients, temporary workers and the general public with whom they come into contact as COVID-19 spreads within the UK and globally, whilst also ensuring business continuity for both ourselves and our clients as far as possible.
The risks and responses to COVID-19 in relation to our workforce and that of our clients is changing on a daily basis, and as such we are following and updating advice provided by the UK Government, Department of Health and NHS.
In regards to our temporary workforce we endeavour sending the same temporary workers consistently to the same clients for long-term or repeat assignments (rather than introducing new workers) wherever possible to avoid exposing clients and temporary workers to multiple sites and people unnecessarily
Trent Nursing Limited is committed to reducing and minimising the transition of infection. It is a requirement that each individual has the responsibility to ensure that they manage personal hygiene effectively within the principles of the Infection Control Policy and Procedure, and where there is responsibility for housekeeping, that good standards are maintained. Trent Nursing Limited will ensure that staff understand that although it is not possible to prevent the spread of the disease, steps can be taken to control/reduce the spread by:
Trent Nursing Limited will have measures in place to respond to major incidents of any scale, including a pandemic, in a way that ensures that staff and Service Users are safe. In addition to this, Trent Nursing Limited will have business continuity and contingency plans that allow the safe delivery of care and support with staff most at risk identified in advance. The plan at Trent Nursing Limited will be to ensure that measures are in place before a pandemic arises so that if swift action is required, the resources, staff and plan can be mobilized.
Trent Nursing will use its communication systems to ensure all staff including temporary staff and potential candidates are aware of Trent Nursing policy and guidance in managing the coronavirus (+COVID-19) risk.
All health workers who plan to travel to any identified or known risk area , including health workers who travelled to a risk area and has returned to the UK in the past 14 days, Trent Nursing will ensure that health worker should follow the procedure from Public Health England as outlined below;
By ‘healthcare worker’ (HCW) we are referring to those who work in a healthcare setting within and outside the NHS who may come into contact with patients. Included in this are clinical administration staff, care home staff and all active temporary workers who pick up ad hoc shifts or on locum contracts.
Trent Nursing shall use their communication systems to message all staff , stating that if a HCW has travelled to or transited through China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan or Thailand (hereafter referred to as ‘other specified areas/countries’) and has returned to the UK in the past 14 days, the HCW should:
It is important that the HCW should not attend a healthcare setting if there is a risk they could spread COVID-19.If a healthcare worker has travelled to China or other specified areas/countries and returned to the UK within the past 14 days should follow guidance in Appendix 1.
Any HCW with compatible symptoms requires clinical assessment, and must notify NHS 111, or NHS direct in Wales, or NHS 24 in Scotland, or Out of Hours GP service in Northern Ireland before notifying their employer.
For asymptomatic HCWs who have a household member who has travelled to China or other specified area/country and is symptomatic, the HCW should be excluded from work until test results of the contact are available. If the results are negative the HCW can return to work immediately.
Refer to the advice sheet for home isolation (Appendix 2) and advice sheet for people who live in the same accommodation as the patient. (Appendix 3).
Those HCWs who meet exposure criteria 4 should be advised:
that they can continue to practice or work as normal while asymptomatic of the symptoms of COVID-19.
that they need to monitor their own health and make phone contact with the healthcare service using standard routes such as NHS 111 (as detailed above). If they become unwell, they need to inform their recruitment consultant who shall liaise with the Occupational Health if they need to be excluded from work.
For HCW meeting criteria 1, 2 or 3, who have never had symptoms, or have had symptoms, tested negative and symptoms have resolved, can return to work after 14 days. If they are still symptomatic this should be assessed on a case by case basis. PHE can be contacted for individual advice by their occupational health department.
HCW meeting criteria 4 who have had symptoms and tested negative, can return to work once these symptoms have resolved. If they develop new symptoms and are within 14 days of travel, they need to be reassessed.
Guidance for all staff who plan travel abroad can be found on relevant NHS website. Trent Nursing will recommend staff to visit here
Where Trent Nursing is contracted for the provision of labour services, Trent Nursing will work closely with their clients to ensure effective management of risk of COVID-19.