RCPA Member Covid-19 briefing 26.04.20

Dear member, please find below our latest Covid-199 briefing;

  • Somerset CC Covid-19 website for updated information relating to national local policy, procedure, information; HERE
  • PPE;
    1. Local guidance from SCC/NHS on use of PPE has now been circulated. This offers some consistency during the current shortage of PPE. PHE now recommends that organisations conduct a dynamic risk assessed approach to organisational use of PPE using Table 4 as its point of reference.  THIS remains the key document and is the standard that we should all be looking to achieve.
    2. PPE platform; HERE  Free to join and free to use, PPE Exchange has been established with the sole aim of bringing together users and suppliers of personal protection equipment (PPE) to allow as much as possible of this urgently needed equipment to get to the front line to safeguard carers and service users.
    3. Gov advice and resources; HERE
  • SCC financial support package; now been approved and circulated with payments underway, (SCC Provider Premium Decision Paper 220420). Note that this does not include day services, DP’s or private funders. The council is open to consider these cases on a bespoke case-by-case basis.
  • Job Retention Scheme; latest essential update from RWK; HERE
  • Learning disabilities and autism;
    1. National guidance for people with autism and LD’s; HERE
    2. SCIE guidance HERE
  • Verification of death outside of hospital; national guidance HERE
  • Palliative and EoL;
    1. Question and Answer Session for Care Homes and District Nurses run by St Margaret’s Hospice every Weds 12.30-14.00pm via Zoom; click this link: https://zoom.us/j/814802089
    2. RCGP etc guidance on Community Palliative, End of Life and Bereavement Care in the COVID-19 pandemic; HERE
    3. Six Steps EoL resources; HERE
    4. Somerset Training Hub and Somerset Covid19 End of Life Group/Cell have made available a series of online educational resources to help health and care workers with providing end of life care in the community during Covid-19. There will 10 in all and are all being placed on the Somerset General Practice Education Trust SGPET website. SGPET has removed the need for any log in or registration and the online courses can now be viewed by all. The eight up so far can be seen at: HERE
  • ​Skills for Health; Free Covid-19 Awareness Course; HERE
  • CQC updates;
    1. Using sedation to enforce social distancing; HERE
    2. Controlled Drugs; HERE
    3. Medicines; Handwritten administration; HERE
    4. Covid-19 medicines; HERE
    5. Info for adult care providers; HERE
  • SCIE; latest resources; HERE
  • Health Education England; Covid-19 learning resources; HERE
  • NHS England and NHS Improvement; Covid-19 resources; HERE