Download this week’s Social Care In Vision below that summarises the following topics:
- CQC Joint statement on the use of COVID-19 positive staff in care settings
- Advice to those who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable – extension to period advice covers – Wales
- Independent review of Scottish social care
- Court of Protection Ruling on COVID Vaccination
Alternatively, you can read the update here:
CQC Joint statement on the use of COVID-19 positive staff in care settings: 27 January 2021
Statement jointly issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England, Care Quality Commission and the Association of Directors of Public Health that states that providers must not use staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. Read the joint letter here.
Ordering medication using proxy access – Guidance for care homes, GP practices and community pharmacies – New Guidance: 2 February 2021
New guidance to support care homes to order residents’ medications online has been published by Local Government Association and the NHS. The guidance provides examples of all the documentation needed. It explains that before the GP practices can grant someone with proxy access, the care home must have a secure email system such as NHSmail.
Boots extends free medication e-learning to all new and existing care home staff until April 2021
Aimed at carers and nurses, Boots Care Learning offers over 70 modules, covering a wide range of topics and up-to-date patient-centred content, as well as medication management training. For more information please read here.
Written Statement: Advice to those who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable – extension to period advice covers – Wales
The Chief Medical Officer has reviewed the position and indicated that the period this advice covers should extend to 31st March. This takes into account the ongoing high incidence of virus in our communities and our continuing learning around the impacts of new strains of the virus. New letters will issue to those on the shielding patient list over the next fortnight. The full statement is here.
Independent review of Scottish social care
At the centre of the remit for this review was a request to recommend improvements to adult social care support in Scotland, primarily in terms of the outcomes achieved by and with people who use services. The full review can be read here.
Court of Protection Ruling on COVID Vaccination
The issue before the Court was whether Mrs E, an 80 year old, should receive a vaccination for COVID-19. Mrs E has a diagnosis of dementia and was diagnosed with schizophrenia around 20 years ago. She has lived in a care home in London since the end of March 2020. Mrs E’s son opposed to her being vaccinated however, the Court ruled that it was likely that, had Mrs E had capacity to make the decision she would have consented to the vaccination. The judgment reinforced the importance of ensuring, as clearly had taken place here, that the process of considering capacity and (where required) best interests takes place in advance of the proposed vaccination so that there can be as little doubt as possible as to what on an individual basis is the right decision to take. Rachel Griffiths the QCS MCA and Human Rights Specialist has written in more detail about this.
The Court of Protection statement can be read here.