Coronavirus Policy

29 September 2020

In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), we continue to follow Public Health England (PHE) guidance to help keep all our colleagues and healthcareorganisations safe : practice good hygiene and stay at home if you feel unwell.

The advice for anyone in any setting is to follow these main guidelines.

1. If you have been in contact with someone with coronavirus or have returned from an affected area identified by the Chief Medical Officer as high risk and you are feeling unwell with a cough, difficulty breathing or fever, stay at home and use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or call NHS 111.

2. Wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, or after being in public areas where other people are doing so. Use hand sanitiser if that’s all you have access to.

https://www.nhs.uk/video/Pages/how-to-wash-hands

3. To reduce the spread of germs when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your sleeve (not your hands) if you don’t have a tissue, and throw the tissue away immediately. Then wash your hands or use a hand sanitising gel.

4. Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people.

At the current time and based on our understanding of what is known of COVID-19 and other similar respiratory viruses, it is likely that older people and those with chronic medical conditions may be vulnerable to severe disease. As more information emerges, recommendations may change.

Due to the nature of where our agency staff works (nursing homes, care homes and or hospitals), they come into contact with the elderly and frail.

From today, people in England will be required by law to self-isolate if they test positive or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace:

* notify CARETOUCH immediately if they have already returned to work

* if not already at work, notify CARETOUCH before returning to work

COVID-19: Specified countries and areas with implications for returning travellers or visitors arriving in the UK.

Anyone should self-isolate, even if asymptomatic, and use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next. Go home or to your destination and then self-isolate

RCN guidance to coronavirus

For information and resources to support understanding and management of COVID-19, please see the RCN guidance:

https://www.rcn.org.uk/clinical-topics/infection-prevention-and-control/novel-coronavirus

Presently there are no restrictions advised regarding staff movement inside the UK (unless the worker has been in contact with COVID-19). As such, we are not limiting staff movement.

Caretouch is aware that guidance may change and our management will ensure they are abreast of all information and will modify policies accordingly. The government and NHS are well prepared to deal with Coronavirus. But, we all have apart to play to help limit the spread of germs.

To protect yourself and others:

• Carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze

• Bin the tissue, and kill the germs, clean your hands as soon as you can.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

Caretouch Limited