COVID-19 latest staff updates and FAQs
COVID-19 (coronavirus) staff frequently asked questions
For full up-to-date staff information on COVID-19 please visit the NHS website.
Your wellbeing is important. We are here, we are listening and we care. For a full range of support available to you, please visit our wellbeing page.
What is COVID-19 and should I be concerned?
A COVID-19 is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world.
Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a new illness which can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus. The symptoms of coronavirus are:
The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu. Check out this handy chart of symptoms to help distinguish between COVID and other illnesses:
What do I do if I suspect I may have COVID-19?
Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms. Under current guidance, you should stay at home for 10 days if you have either:
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for 10 days from the day the first person got symptoms.
If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 10 days.
If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home and testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home.
Full PCN swabbing for COVID-19 is available for all staff who meet the following criteria, via the National Testing Centres or our Occupational Health team:
Staff who need a swab for any of the above reasons should contact the National Testing Service to access a swab, and should self-isolate until a result is received.
There is a requirement for the staff member to contact OH again prior to returning to work to enable a risk assessment to be undertaken, to ensure it is safe for them to return. Absence will be recorded as special leave/medical suspension, to ensure staff are paid during the period of self-isolation.
I have developed a sore throat and temperature, what should I do?
Self-isolate and contact occupational health who will see if you are eligible for a staff test. You do not need to have self-isolated for the sore throat as it is not a symptom, but a temperature above 37.8 is a symptom.
I am due at work tomorrow and have a temperature, can I have an urgent rapid swab test?
No. These tests are prioritised to support clinically urgent cases such as ICU and palliative admissions to other units. Colleagues will not be considered for a raid urgent swab test.
I have come into contact with a member of staff who has tested positive for COVID-19. What do I need to do?
If you were wearing PPE at work at the time then you do not need to do anything further and can continue as normal.
If you have been within 2 metres of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes and you were not wearing PPE then you will need to self-isolate.
Will I need to have a swab if I have come into contact with a COVID-positive member of staff?
You will not need a swab if you are asymptomatic (not showing any symptoms). If you have any symptoms you will need to self-isolate until you have been tested and have a negative result. During this time all other members of your household will also need to self-isolate. If you test positive then you will need to follow the usual guidelines and isolate for 10 days from the first day of your symptoms.
My child has been sent home from school with query COVID symptoms, what should I do?
Contact occupational health who can arrange for your child to be swabbed if you are a clinical member of staff – other colleagues can arrange a test by booking a slot online. The whole household will need to self-isolate until the result of the swab is known. If the swab is negative you can return to work. Whilst you are isolating you will be paid as normal and any bank shifts booked will be honoured. This is dependent though on booking your child in for a swab asap.
My child has been sent home from school because a member of their class has tested positive. What should I do?
Your child must self-isolate, but other members of the household do not have to unless the child has symptoms of COVID-19. If you need time off to arrange child care in these circumstances please discuss it with your line manager.
Another member of my household is being tested for COVID-19 as they have symptoms. What do I need to do?
Self-isolate, contact your line manager and occupational health and work from home if possible. Occupational health will arrange a swab test. If the result is negative you can return to work. If it is positive you will need to self-isolate for 10 days from the first day you show any symptoms if you have a positive test. We will continue to pay you whilst you isloate and we will honour bank shifts already book, providing you book a swab test asap for your household member.
I am a member of bank staff and need to self-isolate. Will I be paid for my booked shifts?
If a member of bank staff needs to self Isolate, as they are either showing symptoms themselves or a member of their family has tested positive, then:
We honour and pay as if worked booked bank shifts for the period of self-isolation.
If a swab comes back negative then we only pay for the shifts during the period of waiting for the swab result.
What is the process for swabbing patients for COVID-19?
Please ensure that all swabs taken for COVID-19 testing are double-bagged and taken by hand to the pathology laboratory. The airtube must not be used under any circumstance for these samples.
How do I care for a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (coronavirus) patient?
Please follow this flow chart for guidance on case management: Management of a suspected case of COVID-19
What do I need to know if I am a ‘clinically vulnerable’ member of staff?
As part of the changes introduced for the second national lockdown, further national guidance has been issued for those who are deemed ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’. If you are in this group, you will previously have received a letter from the NHS or from your GP telling you this. You will have been advised to ‘shield’ in the previous lockdown.
If you are one of these colleagues, you are advised to now stay at home. Please urgently contact your line manager to see how you can be supported to carry out your current role, or an alternative role, from home. We do need to see proof of your letter from the NHS referred to above and this will need to be submitted to your manager and emailed to occupational.health@ulh.nhs.uk
National guidance also states that if you live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable you do not need to stay at home with them and should continue to attend work.
For other staff who are ‘clinically vulnerable’, there is no need, based on the most recent guidance, to change your patterns of work. You are expected to attend work as normal. You should have had a risk assessment and any necessary adjustments made to keep you safe. Continue to abide by the guidance we have given on these adjustments and the use of PPE, social distancing and hand-washing.
As a Trust, the health and wellbeing of our colleagues and patients is our only priority and we want to support you to be able to do your job. Thank you so much for everything that you have done and continue to do.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Relations team via COVID-HRenquiries@ulh.nhs.uk if you have any questions.
All colleagues are reminded of the need to maintain social distancing and to wear face coverings in all areas of the hospital irrespective of whether social distancing can be achieved or not. The social distancing rules apply not only in the workplace, including break periods, but also with your social contacts outside of work and your household. Working together in partnership in this way helps ensure all staff remain as safe as possible.
How do I find my NHS Number?
To find your NHS number please visit: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/
Are visiting times changing in our hospitals?
Visiting has now been suspended at all of our hospitals, with some exceptions in place.
Can loved ones contact friends and relatives in hospital? How can staff support this?
With changes to visiting across our hospitals relatives and families will have added anxiety about their loved one in hospital as they cannot get the regular updates they may have done at visiting time. With ward staff not meeting relatives they cannot be assured who is on the telephone when they ring for information and are subsequently following confidentiality guidance and limiting the information they give.
Under normal circumstances if a relative was unable to visit or a patient was vulnerable or lacked capacity a password system would be set up; this would involve identifying an agreed word password between the patient and the family member; a mutually recognised word; again this cannot be managed under current restrictions.
Where can we find more information about end of life care and palliative patients?
All staff please find the up to date clinical resources for end of life care and palliative patients. This information is updated daily.
You will find resources on ReSPECT conversations and its completion, difficult conversations, care of the dying person, and updated symptom management guidance in line with expected shortages of drugs and syringe drivers.
As always please utilise your SPC team for complex support on 07442531744 for Pilgrim, bleep 3977 at Lincoln and Grantham via Hospice in a Hospital.
What do I do if a patient with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 comes into my service?
Plans have been developed that describe COVID-19 positive, or suspected COVID-19 patients, and this includes criteria that will help separate those that are highly likely and those that are only symptomatic. If you are unsure then you should discuss this with the leader of your department or area who will have your local procedure available to discuss.
What do I do if a patient with or with suspected COVID-19 needs resuscitation?
Resuscitation Council UK is continuously monitoring new information as it becomes available, and will update their advice accordingly as developments unfold. They fully support good hand hygiene and other preventive measures as per guidance from the government.
Where do I go for advice?
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Internally, our infection prevention and control team can provide advice on FIT testing, COVID-19 testing and caring for patients with suspected COVID-19. Call them on 573152.
Remember the biggest impact we can all have to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is the appropriate use of PPE following the Public Health England guidance, washing your hands and adhering to social distancing at all times.
Face masks must be worn in ALL hospital settings unless you are a lone worker.
This includes ALL Trust office accommodation, including offices away from our hospital sites, and includes where staff are 2 metres+ apart. The only exception is where someone is working alone in an office.
This is in addition to social distancing and hand hygiene for staff, patients/individuals and visitors in both clinical and non-clinical areas, to further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
If a healthcare worker in an office is working alone they are not a (droplet/aerosol) risk to others providing they wear a mask when they leave the office. However, when multiple people work in or move in/out of an office, even if they are 2m+ apart, an infected person may contaminate their environment and thus be a risk to others.
When eating or drinking, you should maintain social distancing rules and remove your mask, dispose as offensive waste, and wash your hands for 20 seconds/use alcohol hand rub to sanitise your hands prior to eating. Do not place the face mask on dining tables or nearby surfaces. Once you have finished eating/drinking, you should sanitise your hands again and put on a new facemask to return to workplace. Secure supplies of facemasks and alcohol hand rub will be made available in staff canteen areas.
At the end of your shift you should again dispose of the face mask as offensive waste and sanitise your hands before leaving.
If you have a long term health problem, difficulties breathing, or severe claustrophobia, please discuss this with your line manager and occupational health department who will provide individual advice.
Usage of the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) in line with the latest guidance from Public Health England must continue in patient facing clinical roles.
A strong focus on excellence in infection prevention and control (IPC) at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is critical. Wearing a mask does not remove the need for other key IPC measures and you should continue to follow procedures including social/physical distancing, optimal hand hygiene, frequent surface decontamination, ventilation, and other measures where appropriate. Reliance on singular measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission is not sufficient.
More information on national IPC guidance can be found on the Public Health England website.
Information for patients – The guidance also recommends that all visitors and patients coming to hospital for planned care (outpatients) wear face coverings at all times.
Face coverings are different to face masks in that they can be homemade, made of cloth, and be reusable. If a patient or visitor does not have a face covering when they come to hospital, a face covering or mask will be provided by the hospital on arrival.
It’s important that we continue to communicate clearly and consistently with patients – both to reassure them that everything is being done for their safety, and so they understand what they need to do when they are coming to hospital.
When booking patients to come to hospital for planned care (outpatients), it is important that the requirements for a face covering are clearly explained during the booking and confirmation process.
A guide with communication tactics for patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment and may be impacted by staff wearing masks can also be found on the intranet.
Examples of the PPE we are receiving through the national supply chain can also be found on the intranet.
Further national guidance is available on the government website.
A visual guide to safe PPE is also available below:
COVID-19_easy_visual_guide_to_PPE_poster
Do I need to be FIT tested?
If you are working in an area where you will come into direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, or where you are carrying out aerosol generating procedures on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, you should have already been contacted about FIT testing. If you are concerned please raise this with a supervisor in your area.
What if I’ve failed FIT testing on a number of different masks?
Several masks are available for FIT testing should you fail, however there are other solutions if you do fail. This is something that our Infection Prevention and Control Team will advise you on if required.
Am I expected to remove my beard?
Having beards will most likely result in a failure of FIT testing. If your beard is something you have for reasons of faith, there is guidance from religious councils and from local faith leaders that may help with your choice around whether to shave or not. If you would like to know more about this or would like to discuss this please contact Reverend David Knight in Chaplaincy on 597717 or 07554 222461.
More information is available in the ‘Chaplaincy & Bereavement Services Standard Operating Procedures for Covid 19.’
When should I consider working from home?
In response to the Prime Minister’s recent announcement, we have asked all staff to continue to come to work including those who work in non-clinical areas. This will enable us to support our clinical areas with increased non-clinical support, as well as to complete our plans for surge response to the COVID-19 incident.
The latest government guidance says:
Is there a letter I can print off to prove I work for the NHS if I am stopped while driving during lockdown as part of my work?
Yes. Please feel free to show this letter along with your staff ID should you be stopped while travelling to work at the Trust or as part of your role: NHS Key worker validation end March 2021
What is the Trust doing about annual leave?
The levels of annual leave taken and booked to date are low and we would now ask all staff and line managers to firm up requests and plans for the rest of the year.
ULHT have a duty of care to staff to ensure that they have reasonable opportunities to request and take annual leave and will work with staff side reps thus ensuring that everyone can take their full annual leave entitlement to support their health and wellbeing.
Annual leave when isolating – If you have been asked to isolate because you have COVID symptoms, or have a family member who is symptomatic, you will be able to rebook any annual leave during the period you are isolating. This is on the proviso that you have made every effort to return to work, by contacting Occupational Health and seeking a swab test for either yourself or the relavent family member.
Are staff being swabbed?
Full PCN swabbing for COVID-19 is available for all staff who meet the following criteria, via the National Testing Centres or our Occupational Health team:
Staff who need a swab for any of the above reasons should contact the National Testing Service to access a swab, and should self-isolate until a result is received.
Test results will continue to be sent directly to those tested within 48 hours of a swab being taken and we ask that you inform your manager and Occupational Health at: Occupational.Health@ulh.nhs.uk
What is the process if a member of staff has coronavirus?
If someone is off sick because of coronavirus, then the normal arrangements for managing sickness and sick pay apply. If the absence is longer than 7 days, then the staff member will be required to provide a fit note from the GP. There must be contact with occupational health before any staff member returns to work, so that a risk assessment can be undertaken.
If you are a bank employee and have evidence that you have booked to undertake shifts but have then to self-isolate, we will pay you for the booked shifts.
If staff are away on holiday and are put under any form of quarantine, then in principle we will continue to pay them whilst they are unable to work. However, if you are planning a holiday, perhaps at Easter and visit an area which the Government advises people not to visit and as a consequence you are unable to attend work, then the Trust will not pay you during your absence.
If you are fit for work, but are self-isolating then we would expect you to undertake tasks assigned to you at home. Your line manager will provide you with guidance on how to access ULHT systems at home and will outline the work that we would wish you to do. Completing core learning, responding to complaints and policy reviews are examples of work that could be done by some staff from home.
Before starting to work at home, a risk assessment will be required and your manager will work through this with you.
What do I do if someone I care for has COVID-19?
If you live with other people that have symptoms, you should stay at home for 10 days from the day the first person got symptoms.
If you live with someone who is at risk, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 10 days.This action will help protect others in your community while you are infectious.
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
What do I do if I can’t attend work due to caring for dependents due to COVID-19?
There will be some staff who will have to care for dependents who are either ill or are self-isolating.
We have agreed temporarily to extend carers leave to a maximum of 10 days. This will kept under review.
Whilst the Trust will wishes to support staff who have dependents at home, we will ask staff to be as flexible as possible in supporting patient care, by seeking to share caring responsibilities with other family members, or by potentially voluntarily adapting their working hours.
How do staff organise accommodation if they need to be away from their homes to be able to work?
Accommodation can be booked via the Progress Living website following the normal procedure. Details of how to make a booking can be found on the staff intranet.
What is the process for working from home?
In terms of enabling home working please complete the home access request form and return it to the email address indicated ASAP. This will enable digital services to assess and prioritise requirements. They will then distribute the required instructions and equipment.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure your staff who currently have a laptop take it home after each shift in case they are unexpectedly asked to work from home. They should also test the remote access ASAP as resolving issues whilst not on one of the Trust’s sites could be problematic.
How do I access Microsoft Office 365?
Microsoft Office is being released quickly to allow people to be able to use Office 365 as another way of accessing their work to help with the Covid-19 response. The role out will be targeted to allow individuals with specific needs to work collaboratively.
Teams Virtual Training
There are no more live sessions running at this time but there are recordings of the previous sessions available:
· Recordings for Introduction to Teams and Collaborating with Teams can be found here. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find them. Note, the recording for Running Live Events will be added soon. Please visit the nhs.net support site for further Teams guidance in relation to these recordings.
‘How to’ Guides and Support
If you have been invited to a team then please use the following guides to assist you.
We have created and collated a number of ‘How to’ guides (including from LCHS and Microsoft) which will help you get started with Office 365. We will be regularly updating and adding to these.
Devices used for displaying Trust emails
How to access Outlook email via the internet
Guide to ESR access from work or home
What shall I do about my university course?
We will be writing to those who run clinical courses at universities in our vicinity to make them aware that staff may be unable to attend course sessions owing to their need to provide direct patient care. We will ask to be flexible and ensure staff are not penalised.
We will also send a similar letter to all the local universities and colleges to assist any staff undertaking any courses.
How do I record coronavirus on ESR or Health Roster?
Staff who believe they have symptoms of the coronavirus should contact NHS 111 immediately for advice, they should not attend their GP Surgery, a hospital or their workstation. Self-quarantine for the 14 day period will classified as special leave, not sickness absence, however, if diagnosed as coronavirus, then this will be recorded as sickness absence. View the guidance on the COVID-19 intranet page.
Download a guide for Managers reporting of Covid-19 Absence, here.
If you have any HR queries, please email COVID-HRenquiries@ulh.nhs.uk
Is it ok to car share?
Car sharing should be avoided unless it is absolutely necessary, in which case no more than two people should travel together.