Self-Isolation Decision Support Tool

LFD test kits are available at UHNM for staff who primarily work on areas focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients, specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.

This includes non-clinical patient-facing staff who primarily work on such wards.

If you primarily work on such a ward, and have developed a symptom suspect for COVID-19 or have a household member with a positive COVID-19 test result, then please perform an LFD test before travelling to work and answer the questions below.

All other staff should follow the ‘Management of COVID-19 Sickness Absence: information and advice for health and care professionals guidance’ 

 

Have you tested positive for Covid-19 on an LFD test?


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

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

If your LFD is positive you must inform your line manager and/or clinical lead and not work 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. If you work with severely immune-compromised patients 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?


DECISION - Return to work

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

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

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

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?


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

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

If you work with severely immune-compromised patients and 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. 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.

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

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

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.

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


Decision

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

If your work is normally patient-facing and focussed on treating severely immune-compromised patients; your LFD test result continues to be positive on Day 10; or you are still symptomatic on Day 10, discuss with your line manager who may undertake a risk assessment. 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; agree to avoid taking breaks with colleagues until Day 15, 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

** Please only use this decision tool if you are patient-facing and primarily work in an area focussed on treating severely immune-compromised inpatients  - specifically Royal Stoke wards 201, 217 and 124.**

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