Care Provider Covid-19 Newsletter
October 2022
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Attachments for this bulletin are available for download online
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Get vaccinated and boost your winter protection
This winter, both COVID-19 and flu may circulate at high levels, potentially at the same time.
Ahead of what could be a difficult season, millions of people are being offered vaccination to help protect them over the coming months.
There is evidence to show that if you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time you are at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell. As this is the first winter since COVID-19 emerged without restrictions in place, the best way to protect yourself from getting unwell from either is to get vaccinated.
To read the full article please click here
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Flu
All frontline care colleagues are urged to book their appointments and keep themselves, their colleagues and those they care, for safe, well and protected as winter approaches.
Claire Armstrong, Director of Adult Social Care Delivery and Covid-19 Response, Department of Health and Social Care, wrote to care providers in August, explaining the importance of vaccine uptake for both COVID-19 and flu jabs.
To help promote the benefits of vaccination to colleagues, visit the Campaign Resource Centre, where you’ll find Q&A leaflets, posters, social media content and stickers, all free to download and share.
Flu vaccination is important because:
- while flu is unpleasant for most people, it can be dangerous and even life threatening for some people, particularly those with certain health conditions
- more people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic
- if you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill
Who can have the flu vaccine?
Check eligibility here
Where to get the flu vaccine
You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:
- your GP surgery
- a pharmacy offering the service – if you're aged 18 or over
- some maternity services if you're pregnant
Sometimes, you might be offered the flu vaccine at a hospital appointment.
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Covid
There's still time to grab your first, second or booster doses. Anyone who is eligible can book their vaccination appointment online (new appointments are added frequently) or find a walk-in clinic on the NHS website. You need to be registered with a GP (or call 119) to book online. You do not need to book or be registered with a GP to use a walk-in clinic.
Check your eligibility here for 1st and 2nd Covid-19 vaccination and here for the Covid 19 booster vaccination.
Upcoming Walk in Covid-19 vaccination clinics:
Bath Citadel Salvation Army,
Green Park Road,
Bath,
BA1 1XE
3rd November11-5pm
24th Nov 11-5pm
Bath City Football Club,
105 High St,
Twerton,
Bath,
BA2 1DB
Saturday 29th October 12.30-5pm
17th November 11-5.30pm
‘Grab-a-Cab’
‘Grab a Cab’ is open to anyone living in Bath and North East Somerset who is having difficulties getting to a COVID-19 vaccination site. The ‘Grab a Cab’ initiative means residents can now hire a free taxi to get to their vaccination appointment.
To use the service, the COVID-19 vaccination must be pre-booked and the service user will need to show evidence of the appointment to the taxi driver. Evidence can include a screenshot on a mobile phone or tablet, or a printout.
To book the taxi, the person will need to call V-Cars on 01225 46 46 46 and say they would like to book a taxi to a vaccination site on account quoting:
- Account number: BA-TTV 01
- Account name: Grab a Cab
- Password: Vaccination site
Once the taxi is booked, the taxi driver will pick the person up and take them to their appointment. Please be aware that the return journey must be within an hour of the appointment time.
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DHSC Autumn flu And Covid-19 vaccination data collection
You may have already received this information. Details of the changes for the Capacity Tracker in relation to Covid 19 Vaccination and Flu Data are listed on the attachment.
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Infection Prevention & Control and Winter Readiness Toolkit
As part of the process of helping you prepare for winter UKHSA has updated their Infection Prevention & Control and Winter Readiness Toolkit, (please find the link below).
Please take the time to visit the website as the tool kit focuses on seasonal respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and does cover the whole remit of infections seen in these settings. It is designed to help managers and staff in care homes and other residential care settings with the planning and preparation for winter infections and outbreaks, and in outbreak recognition and management.
The resources are quick-reference documents, designed to be used as needed for your setting, by staff, residents and visitors.
The toolkit complements the national guidance documents on the following websites:
In addition, there are a wealth of other resources and web links on the web sites of the various professional health and social care organisations.
UKHSA Infection Prevention and Control and Winter Readiness - South West Councils (swcouncils.gov.uk)
As part of being ready for winter you need to ensure you have enough tests, so please ensure you always have the following available:
- C-19 PCR kits at least enough for one complete round of whole home testing
- C-19 LFD kits – at least enough for one complete round of whole home testing (in response to OB) and enough for a few days of serial staff testing (in response to OB and/ or single case) and enough LFD kits for testing any symptomatic residents.
Test kits can be pre-ordered via the online portal.
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As we are all aware hand hygiene is one of the most important procedures for preventing the spread of infection and using soap and water is gold standard.
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Staff have regular training and hand hygiene audits are carried out, but have you given any thought to the residents’ hand hygiene?
By raising the awareness and importance of washing hands in a fun yet informative way, could help in the reduce the spread of infection next time you have an outbreak.
And they too can take up ‘Ultraviolet Lightbox Challenge’.
We would only ask that a member of staff is able to be present during the event.
Please email IPC@BATHNES.GOV.UK to book a session or for more information.
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Current guidance
Please refer to the links below for full details.
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Updated guidance
COVID-19 supplement to the infection prevention and control resource for adult social care link Updated 11th October 2022.
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Discharge from hospital to a care home
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Updated to clarify that a period of isolation is continuous (does not restart on discharge or entry to a new place of residence). Also clarified testing guidance for residents leaving hospital to a care home.
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Mask wearing
Mask wearing for visitors
A face mask when visiting a care home is still a requirement for visitors, particularly when moving through the home. Individual approaches may be needed as the wearing of face masks may cause distress to some residents. In circumstances where wearing a face mask causes distress to a resident, face masks may be removed when the visit is not in a communal area of the care home. Removal of the mask in non-communal areas may also be considered following a risk assessment if it is hindering communication, or in the case that the visitor is eating or drinking. However, other mitigations should be considered, including limiting close contact, increased ventilation (while maintaining a comfortable temperature)
You will have received a hand delivered laminated copy if you If you would like to print off a poster to remind visitors to wear a mask please see attached or email the IPC Team
Mask wearing for staff
Face masks should be worn by all care workers and encouraged for visitors in care settings and when providing care in people’s own homes, irrespective of whether the person being cared for is known or suspected to have COVID-19 or not. This is sometimes referred to as ‘universal masking’ or ‘source control’ and is a means of preventing any spread of infection from the mask wearer.
The guidance for adult social care has not changed and mask wearing is still required. Until any changes are announced all the current guidance and IPC measures still apply.
Posters to support this are in the attachments section.
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Safeguarding training
Safeguarding Training is also available and details of how to join can be found on the link Bath & North East Somerset Community Safety and Safeguarding Partnership website.
Managers will need to create an account as detailed in the attached booking guide which can be found on the safeguarding training section.
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Lost property following discharge
We have listened to the Care Home managers concerns about the discharge’s from the RUH and issues around missing items; We have worked with the RUH and have organised a plan for RUH to support care homes following discharge. To be used for those discharged within the last 48 hours.
The plan will be two numbers, unfortunately it isn’t possible to cover with one number. They are:
In hours - 9-4 Mon-Friday will be the discharge team admin – 01225 825698. The admin team will take the calls and allocate the task to a DLN on duty who will then follow up, action and liaise with the home.
Out of Hours - Clinical Site team 07766 498314. If the issue isn’t immediately urgent and the task can wait until the morning, this will be handed over to the DLN team. If urgent the CSM team will action.
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Mental Health Campaign – Lift someone out of loneliness
Feeling lonely is something that all of us can experience at any point and it can have a huge impact on our wellbeing. It’s important to remember that these feelings can pass and that there are lots of ways we can help each other too.
Fancy a cuppa? Fancy a walk? Sometimes reaching out to each other with as little as three words can make a big difference.
As part of the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are encouraging people to ‘Lift Someone Out of Loneliness’ by taking a simple action to help someone who may be feeling lonely. If we do this regularly, we can all help to lift each other up.
Find out how you can help to lift someone out of loneliness.
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Looking after your wellbeing
With the ongoing pressures we are facing to deliver critical services, we would like to remind you that help and support is available for health and social care staff in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW).
The BSW Wellbeing Matters team can provide direct access to psychologists and registered mental health clinicians who will use their expertise to help you access support. The BSW Wellbeing Matters Team provides consultation, advice and support to individuals and teams and can help services think about the wellbeing of their staff and offer advice and support as appropriate.
To contact the team to request support, please call 0800 953 9003 and leave a message on the answer phone or alternatively by email - awp.bswwellbeinghub@nhs.net
To find out more about the BSW Wellbeing Matters service visit: http://www.awp.nhs.uk/advice-support/bsw-wellbeing-matters/
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ASC_Commissioning@bathnes.gov.uk
Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JQ
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