Coronavirus - patient facing staff

We have developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure our local response is in keeping with the latest national guidance.

The SOPs describe our role in the management of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases; key infection, prevention and control principles, including personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements; and outlines the current process for swabbing suspected cases.

We have also now developed a specific End of Life SOP and a Hand care & face skin care SOP.

Community Services SOP 18/2/21

Inpatients, UTCs and outpatients SOP 18/2/21

End of Life SOP 1/5/2020

Hand care & face skin care SOP 15/5/2020

Secure learning environment SOP 3/8/20

• Revised process for ordering PPE
  and stock count (15.8.2020)

PPE Patient information - 'Keeping everyone safe' POSTER

PPE and the new variant: We have received confirmation from Public Health England that there is no concern about any different routes of transmission for the new variant. All national evidence on nosocomial transmission supports maintaining the current position with PPE – it is the infectiousness of the new variant which has changed, not its transmissibility. England’s national medical director has also confirmed this position.

The Chaplaincy Service is still available for DCHS patients who wish to receive confidential listening and pastoral support at this difficult time. All chaplaincy support will be offered via phone or skype for the foreseeable future. Referrals can be made via Patient Experience Team (01773 525119) or DCHST.PatientExperienceTeam@nhs.net

Mary Heritage
Assistant Director Allied Health Professions and Patient Experience
Mary.heritage@nhs.net
07500605505

A total of 3,945 DCHS staff have received their first jab, including 81.6% of patient-facing staff. Vaccination appointments are available at the Arena in Derby (DE24 8JB) – you can book yours here. Getting vaccinated is the best way we can all protect ourselves. If you have not yet had your vaccination please consider doing so if you fall into any of these priority groups (as defined by the Green Book guidance).

• Clinically vulnerable staff
• Patient-facing staff
• Support staff who would come into contact with patients and/or patient areas e.g. IFM, estates
• Volunteers/redeployed/bank staff working in vaccination centres.

Please be aware of the current increased risk in terms of people that have recently travelled from South Africa.

Please ask the additional screening question below:

• Have you travelled from South Africa in the last 10 days?
  • If yes, patients and their families should isolate for 10 days (patients who have travelled from South Africa should be treated as per the high risk pathway (COVID positive) and appointments should be for essential care only).

If urgent care is required then the high risk pathway should be followed.

Updated 24/12/2020

A helpful guide to donning/doffing PPE

Now more than ever Quality Conversations matter.

Top tips for having Quality Conversations, click here

> Conduct your ‘safe and well’ calls the right way: Many of you will be talking to your patients about how they are feeling and coping. Our health psychology team has shared some useful guidance for those of you with no mental health training to use during your safe and well calls to patients. It will help you ask the right kind of questions and know how to respond or signpost for further support.  4/5/2020

> Video consultations – new tool now available: ‘AccuRx Fleming’ is a secure, NHS approved video consultation tool that’s easy to use and you can access it directly from your smartphone. Click here for a guide on how to use it (FAQ 63 – team leaders and clinicians).

> NHS 111 text messaging service: People staying at home with suspected coronavirus symptoms will now be able to get regular check-ins from a new NHS messaging service, helping them get through the isolation period. The messages will be sent as a reassurance to those who contact NHS 111 online: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19

> WhatsApp information service: A coronavirus information service has been launched by the Government on WhatsApp; people can register via Gov.uk and ask questions for an automated answer.

> Non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS): All Covid-19 (confirmed and suspected) patient bookings will now be taken over the telephone, not the online system. Please use the usual booking telephone number: 0300 300 3434.

If you have a question which isn’t in any of our FAQ lists please E: DCHST.communications@nhs.net and we will find out the answer and add it to the FAQs

• Public Health Guidance FAQs
• Team leaders & clinicians FAQs
• People Services FAQs
• PPE - FAQs

Guidance has been published to support primary and community health services to meet the immediate and longer-term care needs of patients discharged following an acute episode of Covid-19. It describes the typical health care needs of these patients, post-discharge. Click here to read more. (10.8.2020)

Click on each of the links below to download the documents. You may also want to peruse the coronavirus main page for discharge documents (found in the posters section), and staff wellbeing advice (found in the staff welfare section).

Bereavement leaflet

Caring Always Poster

Covid-19 information for volunteers from NHSx

Derbyshire Volunteer Emotional Wellbeing Support Pack

Letters to Loved Ones

Safeguarding information for volunteers

Talking to relatives during Covid 19

The DCHS Way

Volunteers - keeping everyone safe

Ward volunteer role description

Health Education England has a range of e-learning programmes that can be accessed by our volunteers. As you can use a personal (non nhs mail ) address to register for an account, volunteers should be able to access any or all of the huge range of learning resources attached, according to specific interest, and according to current role. Please access this information via this link.

Please click here to access our AHP information hub.  This is for all AHPs and associated staff across DCHS; wherever you are based, whatever role you work in and whatever stage you are in your career! This resource will support consistency for AHPs across DCHS and be a place to share best practice.