It remains absolutely vital that you wear the correct PPE to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
When you are working at our sites, whether in a clinical or non-clinical area, please regularly think about whether you and your colleagues are wearing the correct PPE. Every moment counts, every encounter matters.
As a reminder, you should wear full PPE (mask, apron, safety glasses) in clinical areas at all times and gloves in certain situations (new guidance from 14th June). It is important to remember to change gloves and apron after every patient contact.
In non-clinical areas you should follow these seven steps:
Maintain 2 metre spacing
Wear masks at all times
You can pass within 1 metre of a person when wearing a mask without needing to wear eye protection (this must not exceed 1 minute)
If someone stops to talk with you, immediately ask them to step back 2 meters
If you are within 2 metres of someone for more than 1 minute then both mask and eye protection are required
You do not need to wear a mask if in a room by yourself, but you must have a mask on if sharing the room. Be ready to put a mask on if someone enters
Eating and drinking in a designated area – you must maintain 2 metre spacing between yourself and others
If you are unsure of our PPE guidance or have any questions please speak to your line manager as a matter of urgency.
The gloves are off (with exceptions)
The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team routinely check all new guidance as it emerges. From Monday 14 June staff will no longer be required to routinely wear gloves in the patient setting, unless they are anticipating contact with blood/body fluid, or the patient has a known infection (COVID-19 or otherwise).
This clarification in national guidance is aimed at improving hand hygiene, as routine glove use has been identified as a potential route for transferring infection within the clinical area. So please continue to follow best practice hand hygiene when you’re not wearing gloves.
How can I report a breach?
If you notice others who are not wearing PPE correctly, we are encouraging you to politely discuss this with them in the first instance. In many cases it will be a simple mistake and they will be grateful for the reminder.
If this approach doesn’t work, or there are repeated breaches, please discuss this with your line manager and complete a Datix submission.
Standard operating procedures for PPE can be found in the Clinical Guidance section. It’s important to remember to apply basic infection prevention control protocols that you all know and do as part of your everyday clinical roles, alongside the guidance which is there to support you.
More information
For any queries about infection control and PPE please contact the Trust’s Infection Control Team on 0113 85 55957 or you can email infectioncontrol.lypft@nhs.net. There is an answer machine in operation which will direct you to the colleague on call.
The IPC team will make contact with you to complete a risk assessment providing you are well enough
If you need medical advice you should use the NHS111 online service or call NHS111 and seek medical review. In an emergency call 999.
What is meant by self-isolation?
If you are told to self-isolate by a health professional or by NHS Test & Trace you must not:
Go to work, school or public places. You can work from home if you are well
enough
Go on public transport or use taxis
Go out to get food and medicine. You should order it online or by phone, or ask
someone to bring it to your home
Have visitors in your home, including friends and family. You can have people
providing essential care in your home
Go out to exercise. You can exercise at home or in your garden, if you have one
What do I do if a member of my household is self-isolating at home with COVID-19?
If you are living in a household with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 you must self-isolate along with the rest of the household for 10 days since your contact with them. If you have constant contact with them you must isolate from the day they became symptomatic or had their test, whichever was earliest.
If you develop symptoms during this period you should get tested. Even if your result is negative you must complete the full 10 days of isolation.
How long do I need to isolate for?
If you test positive and have symptoms you should isolate for 10 days from the day you developed your first symptoms or had your test, whichever was earliest. If you test positive and have no symptoms you should isolate for 10 days from the day you had your test.
If you have been told to isolate because you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive you should isolate for 10 days from the day you had contact with them. If you live with this person you should isolate from the day they tested positive or the day they developed symptoms if this was before their test.
When is day 1 of isolation?
Day one is the day of the test or the day of symptom onset if this was before the test.
When can I return to work after of a period self-isolation?
You can return to work when you have completed the isolation period, providing you have not had a fever in the last 48 hours and are well enough to work. A persistent cough and a change in taste or smell can last some weeks following isolation and should not prevent your return to work. You should discuss this with your line manager.
I previously tested positive and completed self-isolation for COVID-19. I’ve been notified that I have been in contact with a person who has recently tested positive for COVID-19. Will I need to self-isolate again?
Yes. We do not yet know enough about the level of protection from future infection so it is important that everyone follows the same guidance.
I have been notified by the NHS test and trace service that I am a contact of a confirmed case in the community. What shall I do?
You must follow the isolation instructions that you have been given by NHS test and trace. You should also inform your line manager and email covid19testandtrace.lypft@nhs.net.
I previously tested positive for COVID-19 and made a full recovery. However I’m experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 again. What should I do?
You must isolate and arrange a test. We do not yet know enough about the level of protection from future infection so it is important that everyone follows the same guidance.
What should I do if I have been in close contact with a patient or colleague who has COVID-19 without wearing the recommended PPE, or if I have had a breach in my PPE whilst caring for the patient?
Talk to your line manager and seek advice from the Infection Prevention & Control team. You can do this via infectioncontrol.lypft@nhs.net.
I’ve been working alongside a colleague who has tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?
The Infection Prevention team is usually informed of positive staff cases and will complete a risk assessment to ensure we identify any colleague who may be at risk. If you are concerned that you are at risk and have not been contacted please get in touch via infectioncontrol.lypft@nhs.net.
All your interactions with patients must take place as though they are a COVID19 positive case – in line with the scientific evidence
A mask, apron and eye protection such as safety glasses should always be worn with patient interactions. Please note eye protection is currently stored in grab bags.
From Monday 14 June staff will no longer be required to routinely wear gloves in the patient setting, unless they are anticipating contact with blood/body fluid, or the patient has a known infection (COVID-19 or otherwise).This clarification in national guidance is aimed at improving hand hygiene, as routine glove use has been identified as a potential route for transferring infection within the clinical area. So please continue to follow best practice hand hygiene when you’re not wearing gloves.
Change your apron and gloves following every patient interaction or when moving from one area to another i.e. activity room to lounge area
Masks should be changed following breaks, eating and drinking. It is important to take regular drinks breaks when wearing masks as wearing a mask all the time can increase the risk of dehydration.
Please ensure you wash your arms as well as your hands thoroughly in line with best practice. This is in case you have any spillage droplets on your arm whilst working bare bellow the elbows.
We are asking staff to ensure they are familiar with how to fit check their mask, using the guidance given during fit testing. This should be carried out each time you put on a new FFP3 mask.
By training you to fit check, you will have the expertise to know when a mask is fitted properly – regardless of the brand, rather than needing to be fitted for each brand. This change is a valuable piece of learning that has been shared with us by colleagues from Leeds Teaching Hospitals and other areas of the country.
Infection control have trained staff as “fit testers” with regards to face masks, these testers will disseminate training to all staff required to wear PPE should the need arise. For more information please contact the Infection Control and Prevention team on 0113 85 55957.
There are two main types of standard face masks – ‘standard surgical mask’ and ‘standard surgical FFP3’. We would like to reassure you that both masks are water repellent, and do exactly the same job. Neither is superior to the other and the only difference is how these masks are tied to your head.
There are efficient stock management processes in place across our 12 store rooms for the distribution of PPE equipment. From now on each service area will move to a three day replenishment schedule, so all services should have enough stock available locally for staff to use. Please remember that our Logistics Team are on hand to replenish stock within one day should more stock be needed.
Please be careful with your stock and don’t remove it from wards; it’s important that PPE is allocated fairly and we ask everyone to share and support each other to help us achieve this.
For all other items, please continue to order these through your usual processes.
Personal protective equipment is also stored in the following locations:
136 cupboard at the 136 Suite at the Becklin Centre
The Newsam Centre, Room 12
Clifton House
The Mount, Ward 2
Ordering scrubs
If you require scrubs, please discuss this with your line manager in the first instance. The order should then be placed in the usual way of ordering of any uniforms i.e. via team administrators ordering a non-catalogue request through the iProc system.
The order will be processed by the Procurement Team in the usual timescales and will be subject to supplier lead times. Please contact the Procurement Team for assistance if necessary.
It’s vital you adhere to our infection control guidance and wear your PPE, including safety glasses.
This is important if you are sharing a car with another member of staff to travel to or from work or during visits to service users. If you are car-sharing please remember:
There can be maximum two people per car – one driver and one passenger
The driver must wear a mask, and the passenger must wear a mask and eye protection
The passenger should sit diagonally behind the driver to allow for maximum distancing and to minimise risk of infection
Touch points should be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe and hands should be sanitised before and after the journey
If you have any questions or do not understand the PPE and infection control guidance, please speak to your manager as a matter of urgency.
Infection prevention guidance when moving to different sites
We realise that moving from one place to another may cause some anxiety and you may have a number of questions relating to infection prevention control and PPE. Please follow this guidance, and use PPE and infection prevention procedures, to reduce the risk of any cross infection and enhance the safety of everyone.
There is no additional risk working across sites providing every effort is made to reduce the risk of cross contamination in accordance with the Trust’s infection prevention policy. Remember to:
Apply handwashing, use of aprons and PPE whilst in the clinical area, and ensure these are changed after each patient contact.
Wear a mask whilst on duty, but change it when you have a break/take a drink and if it becomes damp.
Gloves must be worn for most patient contact and disposed of immediately after (see above PPE guidance which changed from 14th June).
Hand sanitiser can be used but does not replace handwashing after providing personal care to a patient.
Ensure that you remove your PPE with care, and dispose of it in the appropriate waste bag.
All inpatient areas have a changing facility for you to remove your uniform, place in a bag, and take home and wash. This further reduces any risk of cross contamination.
Split shifts
Due to the increased potential for cross contamination, please do not undertake split shifts for the time being. If you are asked to do a split shift at last minute in the case of a staffing emergency, please remember:
At the end of your first shift: Put your uniform into a plastic bag, take a shower and change into new uniform before starting your next shift.
At the end of your second shift: Put both uniforms into a plastic bag and change into your personal clothes before leaving.
Once you arrive home: Wash both uniforms at 60 degrees and take another shower.
It is important that hand hygiene guidance is followed at all times to help prevent the spread of infection. Washing hands in soap and water or alcohol sanitising gel is recommended.
We are doing all we can to ensure all clinical wards and community areas have the equipment they need to care for patients, staff and visitors to keep them safe from an infection prevention perspective.
The advice from Public Health England is focused on how people can protect themselves and others from spreading the infection through good hygiene and social distancing measures.
Please display posters in your staff and public areas about good hand washing technique and social distancing advice – these can be found in the resources section.
A short clarifying statement for those working in ALL WARDS
Please arrive at work in your own clothes and change into your uniform in the sites where we have changing facilities. You must double bag your uniform when taking it home and wash it on a 60 degree wash as soon as you are home. Take a shower and wash your hands on arrival at home.
If you don’t have a uniform please follow the same principles as described above and ensure you wear clean laundered clothes each time you come to work. This will help to maintain effective infection prevention principles.
A printable leaflet for inpatients explaining the use of PPE is available: Inpatient Leaflet on PPE
In the majority of circumstances where PPE is deemed essential then once used it should be routinely treated as Non-Infectious, Offensive Waste and disposed of into the appropriately labelled internal waste bin for Offensive waste.
The only exceptions to this are where a clinician determines a high risk of infection, as a result of known or suspected cases of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. Under these circumstances PPE waste should be treated with the same precautions as other Infectious waste and disposed of in an Infectious waste bin.
Offensive Waste Segregation
Internal bins provided at Face Mask and Hand Wash Stations will, in the vast majority of cases be designated and labelled for Offensive Waste, (excluding COVID-Secure Wards). These should be lined with a single Tiger-Striped (Black & Yellow) liner.
Unless an infection risk is known or suspected then all used PPE should be disposed of into the Offensive Waste Stream.
Offensive waste must be segregated in the relevantly labelled internal bin designated specifically for Offensive waste. Do not mix Offensive and Infectious waste items.
