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Found 287 results
  1. Content Article
    This document outlines the final terms of reference for the Public Inquiry into the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett. The Inquiry will examine, consider and report on preparations and the response to the pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Baroness Hallett has also recorded a video statement to the public about the Inquiry, which includes a British Sign Language translation.
  2. News Article
    Hospitals are bringing back requirements for masks on wards just weeks after rules were relaxed as Covid rates spike, The Independent can reveal. Experts have warned of a surge in cases, believed to be the fifth wave, with one in 40 people in the UK testing positive for the virus. Meanwhile, latest NHS data shows more than 8,000 Covid-positive patients on wards following a warning of a “deleterious” impact on hospital waiting times. In response, three major hospital trusts have told staff they must wear masks, with warnings more must follow if the NHS is to handle another wave of Covid. Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine told The Independent: “Over the past 2 years Covid has highlighted and exacerbated what was an already growing crisis. “High staff absence levels, burn-out and low morale have dominated staff landscapes during this time and continue to do so. Future waves and potentially large numbers of upcoming flu cases will only serve to deepen these problems making the hopes of patients, clinicians and politicians alike of elective recovery seem somewhat fanciful." Read full story Source: The Independent, 29 June 2022
  3. Content Article
    Gloves are one of the most common single-use plastic items in healthcare. Between 25 February 2020 and 24 February 2021, 5.5 billion gloves were used in the NHS and social care in England alone. By making one change to reduce unnecessary glove use we can help make healthcare more sustainable. Find out more about glove awareness from the Royal College of Nursing's website.
  4. News Article
    The National Deaf Children’s Society has written to every NHS trust in England urging them to start using transparent face masks because standard ones create a “serious communication barrier” for deaf patients. The letters, co-signed by the British Academy of Audiology, said deaf patients could “miss vital information about their health” as opaque masks make lip reading impossible and facial expressions difficult to read. It is likely that face masks will remain widespread in the NHS, as new guidance issued at the start of June states they will still be required in a number of settings, including cancer wards and critical care units, and staff may wear them in other areas depending on personal preference and local risk assessments. Susan Daniels, the chief executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “Transparent face masks are fully approved and they could transform the healthcare experience for deaf people. However they communicate, almost all deaf people rely on lip reading and facial expressions. Opaque face masks make these techniques much more difficult and this could seriously affect communication at a time when they might need it the most.” Three types of transparent masks, designed not to fog up, are now approved for use as PPE in healthcare settings, and although they are not currently available on the NHS supply chain, they can be bought direct from suppliers. The government previously delivered 250,000 clear masks to frontline NHS and social care workers in September 2020. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 June 2022
  5. News Article
    Patients who enter general practices in England no longer have to wear a face mask unless they have respiratory symptoms, NHS England and NHS Improvement says. But the updated guidance also underlines the importance of local risk assessments and says that increased measures can be used when deemed necessary. A letter sent to clinical commissioning groups and trusts set out the changes to infection prevention and control measures following updates from the UK Health Security Agency.1 It said that health and care staff should continue to wear face masks as part of personal protective equipment when working with patients with suspected or confirmed covid-19, including untriaged patients in primary care and emergency departments. It said that universal masking should be applied when there is a known or suspected cluster of SARS-CoV-2, for example during an outbreak or if new variants of concern emerge. Health and care staff working in non-clinical areas such as offices and social settings do not need to wear masks unless it is their personal preference or if there are specific problems raised by a risk assessment. Patients with respiratory symptoms who are required to attend for emergency treatment should wear a face mask, if tolerated, or be offered one on arrival. All other patients are “not required” to wear a face mask but can if they prefer. In settings where patients are at high risk of infection owing to immunosuppression, such as oncology or haematology, patients might be encouraged to wear a face mask after a local risk assessment. Read full story Source: BMJ, 13 June 2022
  6. Content Article
    This letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement sent to clinical commissioning groups and trusts set out the changes to infection prevention and control measures following updates from the UK Health Security Agency.
  7. News Article
    A number of hospitals are insisting that patients keep wearing masks despite instructions from NHS chiefs to drop the rules. National coronavirus guidance which insisted on face coverings has now been scrapped, with health officials leaving it to local organisations to draft their own policies. However, several hospitals have called on patients and staff to continue to wear masks and face coverings on their sites. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has repeatedly called on NHS trusts to drop restrictions in hospitals which are limiting operational capacity. Last month, he threatened to name and shame hospitals that do not lift social distancing measures and restrictions on visitors. A letter from health chiefs said that patients visiting accident and emergency (A&E) departments, hospital outpatient appointments and GP surgeries no longer needed to wear masks “unless this is a personal preference”. Hospitals have now begun issuing guidance for their local communities, with a number saying they intend to keep insisting on people wearing masks. The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS trust issued a notice to patients and staff saying: “We are still asking patients, visitors, staff and anyone working at one of our hospital or community sites to continue to wear a mask, gel hands and social distance while in our buildings despite the lifting of national restrictions." “This is to keep vulnerable people as safe as possible.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 8 June 2022
  8. Content Article
    Early in the pandemic, neither the NHS’s clinical or ancillary staff nor social care workers were adequately protected from the risks of catching covid-19 in the course of their work. In the UK alone, hundreds of infected workers have died, thousands have been admitted to hospital, and tens of thousands have experienced long term effects, How do we improve staff protection next time? Here’s David Oliver's manifesto.
  9. Content Article
    In this article for The BMJ, Matthew Limb looks at the findings of the British Medical Association's (BMA's) review of the UK's management of the pandemic. The review found that many doctors had traumatic experiences during the pandemic, and highlights the following areas where the government could have better supported doctors: Preparedness including chronic underfunding of the NHS Personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages Inadequate infection prevention and control guidance Testing failures Lack of risk assessment and failure to protect vulnerable staff Deaths Long Covid Exhaustion Mental health and emotional wellbeing Anxiety and moral injury Isolation Lack of support Career prospects The review did also highlight the vaccination campaign and rollout as a notable success in the government's response to the pandemic.
  10. News Article
    The UK government failed in its duty of care to protect doctors and other healthcare staff from avoidable harm and suffering in its management of the covid-19 pandemic, a major review by the BMA has concluded. Two reports published on 19 May document the experiences of thousands of UK doctors throughout the pandemic, drawing on real time surveys carried out over the past two years, formal testimonies, data, and evidence sessions. The reports will form part of a wider review by the BMA into the government’s handling of the pandemic, with three further instalments to come. The evidence lays bare the devastating impact of the pandemic on doctors and the NHS, with repeated mistakes, errors of judgment, and failures of government policy amounting to a failure of a duty of care to the workforce, the BMA said. Chaand Nagpaul, BMA chair of council, said, “A moral duty of government is to protect its own healthcare workers from harm in the course of duty, as they serve and protect the nation’s health. Yet, in reality, doctors were desperately let down by the UK government’s failure to adequately prepare for the pandemic, and their subsequent flawed decision making, with tragic consequences. “The evidence presented in our reports demonstrates, unequivocally, that the UK government failed in its duty of care to the medical profession.” Read full story Source: BMJ, 19 May 2022
  11. Content Article
    This French study in the Journal of Hospital Infection evaluated the frequency and factors associated with environmental air and surface contamination in rooms of patients with acute Covid-19. It aimed to increase understanding of how the virus is transmitted in hospitals. The authors found that surfaces seemed to be more frequently contaminated with Covid-19 than air or mask samples, and noted that viable virus was rarely found. They suggest that samples from the inside of patients' face masks could be used to identify patients with a higher risk of contamination.
  12. Content Article
    Surgical smoke or surgical plume is the smoke created by electrical and cauterisation devices used in surgery. When surgical staff are exposed to this smoke, it may cause harm, with some studies finding that exposure increased cancer risk for surgeons. This study in the journal Scientific Reports aimed to compare the concentration of surgical smoke produced by different tissues and electric diathermy modes, and to measure the effectiveness of different local exhaust ventilations. The authors found that: there were varying levels of particulates given off by different devices and different tissues. in the cutting setting, all three smoke extractors had more than 96% efficiency in clearing surgical smoke. adapting an electric diathermy device with a urethral catheter is a simple and effective way to exhaust smoke in surgical operations. They highlight the need for more research to ensure surgical staff are well protected from the risks of surgical smoke.
  13. Content Article
    This guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should be used to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 in adult social care settings. It applies from 4 April 2022 and should be read in conjunction with: the infection prevention and control (IPC) resource for adult social care, which should be used as a basis for any infection prevention and control response the adult social care testing guidance, which details the testing regimes for all staff, as well as any resident and outbreak testing where applicable.
  14. News Article
    The national supply chain agency will bring management of significant areas of NHS spend in-house on a permanent basis in a major overhaul of its operating model, HSJ has been told. NHS Supply Chain’s current operating model, which has existed since 2018, has outsourced day-to-day management of the procurement of most of the goods and services bought by trusts as part of the “category towers” structure. Under this structure, 11 category towers each cover a different spend area with a service provider to manage the available products and services. But, in an exclusive interview, NHSSC chief Andrew New said the 11 categories would be reduced to eight. Three of the new categories — personal protective equipment, “medical capital” (which combines large capital diagnostics equipment with smaller scale diagnostics, pathology and point of care testing categories) and “medical clinically complex” surgical products and services — would be managed in-house. The new model will come into effect in 2023-24 following a procurement process to find new suppliers for the revamped category structure, which starts on 11 April 2022 with the publication of the contract notice. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 4 April 2022
  15. Content Article
    This guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) outlines infection prevention and control (IPC) principles for adult social care settings in England, to be used with guidance on managing specific infections. It applies from 4 April 2022. This should be read in conjunction with DHSC's Covid-19 supplement to the infection prevention and control resource for adult social care.
  16. Content Article
    This blog provides an overview of a roundtable webinar organised by the European Biosafety Network (EBN), which focused on the need to prevent exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) and other substances. It was chaired by Gitta Vanpeborgh, Belgian Federal Deputy, and included attendees from across Europe.
  17. News Article
    NHS staff face unacceptable health risks as a result of “retrograde” changes to the government’s guidance on preventing spread of Covid-19, doctors’ leaders have warned. The BMA said on 16 March it was concerned over updated guidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency covering use of personal protective equipment. It said the guidance failed to properly acknowledge that SARS-CoV-2 infection can spread in the air during the routine care of patients as they cough or sneeze and not just when specific processes known as aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are being undertaken. “This is a retrograde step as it once again means that healthcare workers will not be routinely provided the right level of protective masks and equipment they need to be safe at work when looking after covid patients,” said Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA’s chair of council. The BMA said it was crucial that any staff looking after patients with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, or in other situations where a local risk assessment required it, had access to respiratory protective equipment such as filtering face piece (FFP3) masks. Nagpaul said, “All healthcare workers who are caring for Covid-19 patients are putting themselves at risk, each and every day, and the very least the government should do is to provide surety that staff will be given the best protection possible.” Respirators such as FFP3 masks are designed to protect the wearer from ingress of contaminated air and are fitted to ensure no gaps. They offer higher protection than surgical masks, which block the outward escape of droplets from the wearer. The BMA’s concern follows a supposed clarification of the main messages regarding airborne transmission in the latest infection and prevention and control guidance issued on 15 March 2022. The guidance said that respiratory protective equipment (FFP3 masks) are recommended when caring for patients with a suspected or confirmed infection spread “predominantly” by the airborne route (during the infectious period). The word “predominantly” has been added to the previous guidance update, which was issued on 17 January 2022, and is the crux of doctors’ concern, one leading scientist said. Read full story Source: BMJ, 18 March 2022
  18. News Article
    Nearly one in five items of personal protective equipment (PPE) the government bought during the pandemic are not fit for purpose and cannot be used by the NHS, it has been revealed – including 1.2 billion items that cannot be used at all. As of December, almost 7 billion items of personal protective equipment bought for frontline services – 19.1% of the 36.4 billion items bought since February 2020 – had been marked “do not supply” to the NHS by the Department of Health and Social Care. The number is more than three times the figure quoted last September, when health minister Lord Bethell admitted 1.9 billion items worth £2.8bn were in the “do not supply” category – 6.2% of the PPE bought up to that point. The not-fit-for-purpose stock includes 1.2 billion units of PPE that cannot be used in any setting. This "wastage" – which accounts for 3.3% of pandemic PPE – includes around 800m aprons that DHSC is now looking to recycle, permanent secretary Sir Chris Wormald said in a letter to the Public Accounts Committee. The revelation comes as a consultation opens on the terms of reference for the public inquiry into the government's response to Covid. The inquiry will look at pandemic preparedness and the healthcare response, among other things. Read full story Source: Civil Service World, 11 March 2022
  19. News Article
    The draft terms of reference for the UK public inquiry into the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic have been published. The inquiry, due to start in the spring, will play a key role in "learning lessons" from the pandemic and for the future, it said. The terms of reference were published after a consultation with inquiry chairwoman and former High Court judge Baroness Hallett, and with ministers in the devolved nations. The Scottish government has already published the terms of reference for its own Covid-19 inquiry, to be led by Judge Lady Poole. The UK-wide inquiry proposes examining a broad range of issues including: the UK's preparedness for the pandemic the use of lockdowns and other 'non-pharmaceutical' interventions such as social distancing and the use of face coverings the management of the pandemic in hospitals and care homes the procurement and provision of equipment like personal protective equipment and ventilators support for businesses and jobs, including the furlough scheme, as well as benefits and sick pay. The inquiry aims to produce "a factual, narrative account" covering decision-making at all levels of government and the response of the health and care sector as well as identifying the "lessons to be learned". Becky Kummer, spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said the publication was a "huge step forward" and the organisation looked forward to contributing to the consultation on the terms. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said there was much the NHS did well during the pandemic but: "It is right the inquiry looks at areas where there were major challenges - such as infection prevention and control, access to PPE, testing, and robust epidemiological modelling." Read full story Source: BBC News, 11 March 2022
  20. Content Article
    This blog summarises investigations about Covid-19 and its impact on the healthcare system carried out by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB). It highlights learning from five HSIB reports: COVID-19 transmission in hospitals: management of the risk – a prospective safety investigation Early warning scores to detect deterioration in COVID-19 inpatients Oxygen issues during the COVID-19 pandemic Treating COVID-19 patients using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Personal protective equipment (PPE): care workers delivering homecare during the COVID-19 response
  21. News Article
    Up-to-date registers of clinically vulnerable patients must be created to ensure that those who are most at risk during Covid-19 and any future pandemics are protected and can access the support they need, a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Vulnerable Groups to Pandemics has recommended. The report considered vulnerable people’s experiences during the pandemic and makes 16 recommendations on what the government and the health service can do better to plan and prioritise extremely vulnerable patients during further Covid-19 outbreaks and future pandemics. These tackle the format and content of information and guidance; access to medical services such as mental health support to help people deal with anxiety, fear, and isolation; provision of practical support such as food and finance when isolating; and the need for more research into how medical conditions make people more vulnerable to a threat and vaccines less protective. At the launch of the report representatives of charities and patient groups described how the pandemic had left clinically vulnerable people feeling anxious, afraid, lonely, trapped, and desperate. They also described the “not on the list” scenario many had had to contend with, meaning they could not access priority services such as testing or support to isolate. There were still patients whose doctors recognised that they should be on the list fighting to get their condition recognised, said Susan Walsh, chief executive of Immunodeficiency UK. This means that, under the government’s Living with Covid plans, they will no longer be able to access free testing. Lord Mendelsohn, co-chair of the APPG on Vulnerable Groups to Pandemics, said, “We should be more willing to allow the medical practitioners responsible for these patients to be able to overhaul computerised systems and find ways to make that happen.” Read full story Source: BMJ, 28 February 2022
  22. Content Article
    Up-to-date registers of clinically vulnerable patients must be created to ensure that those who are most at risk during Covid-19 and any future pandemics are protected and can access the support they need, a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Vulnerable Groups to Pandemics has recommended. The report considered vulnerable people’s experiences during the pandemic and makes 16 recommendations on what the government and the health service can do better to plan and prioritise extremely vulnerable patients during further Covid-19 outbreaks and future pandemics.
  23. Content Article
    A letter to the Chair of the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee expressing concern that written evidence provided to the Committee's “Coronavirus: Lessons Learned to Date" inquiry was not properly considered and opportunities to protect healthcare workers from disease were missed.
  24. Content Article
    Evidence submitted outlining the issues relating to the protection of health and care workers. It explains how surgical masks are not 'protective' against airborne disease and represent a breach of COSHH Regulations.
  25. Content Article
    Letter outlining potential legal non-compliance by persons involved in issuing Infection Prevention and Control Guidance.
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