Updates - National guidance -
Vaccinating frontline social care workers
This letter on 14 January is further to the Operational Guidance: Vaccination of Frontline Health & Social Care Workers of 7 January 2021, which signalled the immediate requirement to vaccinate frontline social care workers.
Suspected or diagnosed cancers and cervical screening
While recognising the significant pressures on primary care, GPs should continue to refer patients who fulfil NG12 criteria. Where referrals depart from normal practice, robust safety-netting must be in place.
Increased flexibility to offer vaccinations to cohorts 3 and 4
In order to support achievement of a vaccination offer to all individuals within JCVI cohorts 1-4 by 15 February 2021, and guided by the principles of minimising wastage, reducing inequality of access, and maximising pace, we are now moving to a more flexible approach across cohorts 1-4.
Covid vaccine SOP updated
As community pharmacies come online as vaccination sites, the standard operating procedure for the COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings has been updated with the latest guidance.
Long COVID services
There are 69 Long COVID assessment services across the country, taking referrals from GPs for people experiencing long COVID symptoms
Pulse oximetry guidance update
The guidance for pulse oximetry to detect early deterioration of patients with COVID-19 in primary and community care settings has been updated
COVID-19 deployment queries – contact information
Supplies and IT
Orders of lateral flow tests of 100 and above
Each organisation should order one box for each patient-facing member of staff, for example if there are 10 patient-facing members of staff delivering NHS services within an organisation
Letter sent to clinically extremely vulnerable patients
Government has issued a letter to all CEVs in England, this letter is a formal shielding notification and can act as evidence for employers to show that a person cannot work outside their home from the period 5 January until 21 February 2021, including for statutory sick pay (SSP) purposes.
Supporting physical health-checks for people with Severe Mental Illness
The NHS Long Term Plan commits to increasing the number of people with a Severe Mental Illness receiving a comprehensive physical health-check over the next three years to 390,000 people in 2023/24.
PPE Reimbursement
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has now published guidance on the claims process for PPE
Recording of ethnicity information
From 1 January 2021, it is a contractual requirement for GPs to record patients’ ethnicity information in their patient record if a patient, or someone authorised on their behalf, provides it.