There are a number of sites that are being updated on a regular basis that we recommend colleagues access for the latest information on COVID19.
The national sites are:
- NHS guidance for clinicians – www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus
- Public health advice (including government advice) – www.gov.uk/coronavirus
- NHS advice for patients/public – www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
The local sites are:
It is important to keep yourself up-to-date and share information with colleagues who may not have regular access to emails or the intranet.
Please make sure you cascade information throughout your teams, including Bank workers and volunteers. Clinical teams are asked to make sure daily updates are being discussed and logged during handovers.
NHS England has agreed that hotel accommodation can be made available on a voluntary basis to colleagues who:
- are unable to return home due to self-isolation guidance (where family members are experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus)
- require emergency accommodation due to an urgent response or other mitigating factors.
A national NHS process has been agreed for booking hotel accommodation. If you require accommodation at a hotel you should:
- Confirm first with your General Manager – or the on-call manager if it is out of hours – that accommodation is required; the GM or on-call manager should then inform the relevant Finance Manager that a booking is being made so that this can be recorded as part of our COVID-19 spending. Please note that, with restrictions being relaxed, it may not always be possible to approve requests.
- Contact CTM call centre on 01274 726424 (choosing ‘Hotel team’, then ‘Option 1’). The booker should then be prepared to provide:
- Project code: NHS Support
- Guest name
- Telephone number for emergency
- Email address for confirmation
- Organisation name: Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Organisation cost code: RXM
- Department
- Job title
It is very important to cancel any bookings that are no longer required. More detailed guidance on this process can be found on the NHS England website.
We have had a number of enquiries from our teams in relation to ordering and accessing scrubs and uniforms for our inpatient teams. We have also been made aware of some changes to guidance around washing uniforms from NHS England.
The most up to date NHS guidance indicates the following:
Laundering uniform:
- Scrubs should be taken home in a standard disposable bag (not alginate/red bag as previously advised)
- Scrubs must be emptied out of the bag directly into the drum; no other household items should be included in the wash
- The bag can be disposed of via the general domestic waste
- Clothing should be washed at the highest temperature the garment allows and at a minimum of 60 degrees Celsius.
Laundering clothes – work wear should be washed:
- Separately from other household linen
- In a load not more than half the machine capacity
- At the maximum temperature the fabric can tolerate (check the label), then ironed or tumbled-dried.
General care of home laundry facilities
- A weekly mild solution of bleach on a high temperature can be used in the machine to decontaminate it
- Make sure the seal and door of the machine are wiped before closing.
Orders for scrubs and uniforms for our inpatient teams
We have raised orders with suppliers for scrubs for our inpatient teams. We are aware that there is high demand nationally. In the light of this we have sought alternative suppliers who are able to realise orders within a reasonable timeframe. A local manufacturer has delivered new scrubs and these are being distributed as needed.
Community teams
Some community team members have asked if they should be switching to uniform or scrubs. The current Public Health England and NHS guidance in relation to this has not changed and community staff are not being advised to switch into uniforms. Some staff who are working in clinics have elected to go back into uniform following discussions with their managers. Please follow the laundry advice as described above.
Uniform amnesty
We would encourage staff who may have uniform that no longer fits or uniform or scrubs in cupboards or wardrobes at home to leave it in the drop boxes at Kingsway Hospital, Hartington Unit or Radbourne Unit.
Clinical and managerial supervision is an essential part of staff wellbeing, clinical safety and clinical quality. It is particularly important at the moment, when our work is much more stressful, and where people are working in different clinical areas, or working from home and therefore seeing colleagues much less regularly.
For those working in different clinical areas, please seek out supervision from colleagues in your new work area, to make sure that you’re being supported by people who understand your new role.
For staff working at home, supervision by phone or video call might feel strange but is still of huge value. Please continue to record the content of your supervision in the usual way, and also continue to record the activity of supervision at http://dhcftsystems/systemsteam/supervision/Home.aspx.
For those clinical staff who are shielded and not able to currently work clinically, there is no requirement for clinical supervision unless you request it. The team manager need not worry about any temporary drop in the team’s supervision performance figures for these colleagues. For guidance, see the supervision policy.
It is important that we have clean and tidy wards, clinic rooms and waiting areas, to prevent the spread of infection. We all have a role to play in making sure the cleaning of our buildings is as effective as possible.
If you work at desks, please introduce a clear-desk policy and leave these free of papers when you go home. Keep floors and communal areas as clear as possible.
Please also continue to maintain good hand hygiene – see the video below on how to wash your hands.
