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In this bulletin:
- COVID-19 – Local Restriction Tiers
- COVID-19 – Community Based COVID-19 Research Study
- COVID-19 – Community CPR
- COVID-19 – Guidance for Seasonal (Christmas) Decorations
- Flu – Accessing Government-Secured Flu Vaccines
A) COVID-19 – Local Restriction Tiers
Although the current National Restrictions are still in place, the new local restriction tiers will be in place from Wednesday 2 December, and they outline what people can and cannot do in each tier.
Additional advice at each tier will be provided soon for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, although it is expected that the Government will again contact people on the Shielded Patient List (SPL) to advise them of the change of guidance.
B) COVID-19 – Community Based COVID-19 Research Study
To find out if early treatment in the community speeds up COVID-19 recovery and reduces the need for hospitalisation; the support of GP Practices is needed to help to identify potential participants aged 50 and over with symptoms of COVID-19 to join a study. Eligible Patients should be directed to self-screen via the PRINCIPLE website.
C) COVID-19 – Community CPR
The RCGP and the Resuscitation Council UK have produced a useful webinar which considers how CPR should be conducted in a community setting. It discusses the ethical issues of attempting CPR, the debates regarding whether CPR is an aerosol generating procedure, and what PPE to wear.
D) COVID-19 – Guidance for Seasonal (Christmas) Decorations
Whilst it’s important to both staff and Patients who visit the Practice over the festive season to enjoy a cheerful atmosphere, Practices must not compromise infection prevention and control, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, in the latest IPC Bulletin for GP Staff, the NHS Infection Prevention Control team have provided guidance for displaying seasonal decorations, including:
- Decorations should be single season use and disposed of when taken down, unless they can be cleaned with a suitable disinfectant/wipe
- Ideally, decorations should only be hung or displayed on walls so they cannot be touched
- Decorations can be displayed in staff offices and rest rooms but not in consulting or clinical rooms
This latest bulletin also includes information about ‘deep cleaning’ by external cleaning companies.
E) Flu – Accessing Government-Secured Flu Vaccines
The DHSC has issued updated guidance to GP Practices on how to access the extra stock of flu vaccines this winter that the government secured for the expansion of the flu vaccination programme, to all 50 – 64 year olds from 1 December 2020.
The Patient Group Direction (PGD) template for administering Flublok Quadrivalent vaccine has also been published. It is valid from 23 November 2020 to 31 March 2021, but Practitioners must not use this PGD template until it has been authorised in Section 2.