Staff Isolation Tool

Have you tested positive for Covid-19 on an LFD test, or have you received a positive Covid-19 PCR test result?

Yes No

Decision – Exclusion from work at UHNM required for a minimum of 5 days (A confirmatory PCR test is no longer required)

If your LFD is positive you do not need to book a PCR test. If your LFD or PCR test is positive, then you are advised to limit close contact with others inside and outside of your household. This also applies if have a negative LFD test and positive PCR test. You must inform your line manager and/or clinical lead and not work at the UHNM for a minimum of 5 days. The exclusion from work period includes the day the symptoms started (or the day your first positive test was taken if you did not have symptoms at the time), also described as Day 0. You should not take a (further) LFD test before Day 5. If you have no fever and feel well enough to return to work from Day 6, you must have had a negative LFD test on Day 5 and Day 6 and reported this at Gov.uk. We request that staff required to take a LFD test do so early in the morning on both Day five and Day six, thereby enabling an immediate return to work on Day six. If following two negative LFD tests you return to work on day 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, then you are asked to avoid taking a break together with colleagues, and if involved in direct (less than 2m) patient care asked to wear a fit-tested non-valved FFP3 mask or equivalent when providing care, and continue with daily LFD tests as an extra precaution until Day 11. Have you had two consecutive (with 24 hour interval) negative LFDs between day 5 and day 10 of your follow-up period.

Have you had significant contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case in your household or elsewhere?

Yes No

DECISION - Return to work

If you have not been informed nor aware that you are a significant contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19, you do not have any symptoms, and you do not have a positive COVID-19 lateral flow (LFD) self-test, then there is no need to self-isolate. Please perform a routine LFD self-test twice-weekly to ensure no COVID-19 infection. Order from the UK Government website.

You can return to work following a negative Covid-19 LFD test

You should perform a Covid-19 LFD test. If your LFD test is positive then you should self-exclude from working at UHNM do not require a confirmatory PCR test. If your LFD test is negative and you have no symptoms, you should continue to LFD test twice weekly. All LFD test results are to be registered on the Gov.uk site. Staff should avoid having their breaks with colleagues, and wear fit-tested non-valved FFP3-masks or equivalent PPE whilst providing patient care. Staff working in haematology/oncology/renal medicine should discuss temporary redeployment with their line manager or clinical lead.

Have you had two consecutive (with 24 hour interval) negative LFDs between day 5 and day 10 of your follow-up period?

Yes No

DECISION – You can return to work following a negative LFD test

If you feel well enough to return to work between Day 6 and Day 10, you must have obtained a negative LFD test on two consecutive days before you return to work, and reported this on the NHS Test and Trace website. We request that staff required to take a LFD test do so early in the morning (or after waking up prior to working a night shift) on both Day five and Day six, thereby enabling an immediate return to work on Day six if both are negative. Those leaving self-isolation at home before Day 11 are strongly advised to limit close contact with others outside their household, especially in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. If you return to work on Day 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 following a second negative LFD, then you are asked to avoid taking a break together with colleagues and if involved in direct patient care, to wear a fit-tested non-valved FFP3 mask or equivalent when providing care as an extra precaution until Day 11.

Decision – Continue exclusion from work at UHNM and inform your line manager and/or clinical lead

It is not unusual for an LFD test to be still positive after Day 5, and if this is the case, please continue to self-isolate prior to Day 11 until you have obtained two consecutive negative LFD tests taken at least 24 hours apart. If after obtaining two consecutive negative LFD tests you return to work on Day 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, then you are asked to avoid taking a break together with colleagues and if involved in direct patient care, to wear a fit-tested non-valved FFP3 mask or equivalent when providing care as an extra precaution until Day 11. Those leaving self-isolation at home before Day 10 are strongly advised to limit close contact with others outside their household, especially in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.

Have you had a positive LFD test on day 10 of your isolation?

Yes No

Decision

Non-patient facing staff can stop LFD testing and return to work on Day 11 if asymptomatic, but should avoid taking breaks together with colleagues between Day 10 and Day 14. If your LFD test result continues to be positive on Day 10 and your work is normally patient-facing, or you are still symptomatic on Day 10, then you should discuss this with your line manager who may undertake a risk assessment. If you are patient-facing then you should avoid caring for highly immune-suppressed patients between Day 10 and Day 14 such as in haematology/oncology/renal medicine, but if you feel well enough to return to work between Day 11 and Day 14 in other areas, are able to wear a fit-tested non-valved FFP3 mask or equivalent when providing patient care and agree to avoid taking breaks together with colleagues until Day 15, then this would mitigate the risk of ward outbreaks and reduce the risk for patients and staff with no immunity against COVID-19. A persistent occasional cough or loss of smell/taste is not a reason to continue to self-exclude from work since this is not associated with infectiousness.

Decision – Return to work

If you have a single negative LFD test on day 10, and feel well enough, you can return to work

Self Isolation Tool