COVID-19 Update

15 April 2020

A weekly update for providers and professionals working in primary medical and dental services, sharing the latest guidance on COVID-19 and CQC's approach during this period.

Stay up to date with the latest CQC COVID-19 information

We're making changes to the way we work during the COVID-19 outbreak. We've developed a dedicated area on our website so that you can stay up to date with the latest information. Find out more.

NHS England Primary Care bulletin

NHS England publishes a regular bulletin providing updates for teams across general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy and optometry. 

Sign up to receive the bulletin.

Update for dental providers

We wrote to you on 3 April to address concerns you had raised with us around Local Urgent Dental Care Centres and provided advice on how dental care should be delivered until these are operational.

Being vigilant against fraud 

Law enforcement, government and private sector partners are working together to encourage members of the public and those providing support and care to be more vigilant against fraud – particularly about sharing financial and personal information – as criminals seek to capitalise on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Take five to stop fraud campaign offers advice to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud. Information, advice and resources are also available on the Friends Against Scams website.

Tell us about your good practice and innovations!

Thank you to those people who have contacted us with their examples of good practice and innovations so far.

We're still looking for examples of where providers are innovating in various ways to meet the challenge of responding to COVID-19.

We will share these with providers and other stakeholders so that they can consider if there are any ideas or innovations that would be suitable for their organisation. Please send examples to C19innovation@cqc.org.uk

Contacting CQC

All Care Quality Commission offices are now closed. This means that we have stopped communicating by post, and ask that you do not send post to us. Please use other methods to contact us, details of which are available on our website.

Mental health providers that need to send section 61 reports should do this by email. If you have an nhs.net or CJSM secure email account, reports can be sent to s61.audit@cqc.cjsm.net. If you do not have an nhs.net or CJSM email account, please email reports as encrypted attachments to SOAD_Requests@cqc.org.uk. Visit our website for more information on mental health notifications.

In the event that we have to issue a formal notice, we will contact the provider by phone to discuss this and to confirm the approach for further contact. Providers are also reminded of their duty of care to people using their services. For those detained under the Mental Health Act, this may mean supporting people to access the internet or make telephone calls if they ask to contact us.

Free refresher training for health and care professionals returning to work

Blue Stream Academy are offering a set of 'Essential Refresher Training' modules, available free of charge, to any professionals returning to work within the health and social care sectors. These modules are available to both clinical and non-clinical staff, and are designed to refresh returning staff members on the essential training required to safely deliver patient-centred care at this difficult time.

For more information please visit the Blue Stream Academy website, or register for access by getting in touch.

Guidance for primary care and dental services professionals

• NEW: Revisit the latest message from Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services, in which she shares how we've changed our regulatory approach so we're supportive of providers and provides information and advice around questions providers have raised with us
• NEW: Joint statement from CQC and the GMC on community based prescribing for COVID-19 symptoms
• Briefing from NHS England on the Coronavirus Act - excess death provisions: information and guidance for medical practitioners
• NICE COVID-19 rapid guidelines 
• Advice and information on looking after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak from NHS England and the Mental Health Foundation
• Latest updates and guidance for dental practice
• Webinars for community pharmacy, dental, digital primary care and general practice staff, including links to recordings of past webinars
• Guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care on how local authorities can use the new Care Act easements
• Investigation and initial clinical management of possible cases
• Guidance for primary care
• Guidance on the supply and use of personal protective equipment
• Letters for providers and professionals from NHS England/Improvement
• Guidance for health professionals
• Guidance from NHS England and Improvement
• Guidance for health professionals who have diagnosed a case within their facility 
• Infection prevention and control 
• Rapid tests for use in community pharmacies or at home
• Guidance for sampling and for diagnostic laboratories 
• Department of Health and Social Care's coronavirus action plan
• NHS England has published measures for people who might be at greatest risk from coronavirus. Guidance (including an easy read version) is available on its website. People who are classed as extremely vulnerable are being asked to register for support.

Accessibility resources to help you communicate about COVID-19

• Signhealth is providing a videos of summaries of key coronavirus guidance in BSL
• The handwashing rap, produced to help people who have a learning disability
• Public Health England stay at home guidance, translated and in easy read
• Public Health England guidance on social distancing, translated.
• NHS guidelines translated into 32 languages by Doctors of the World
• Easy read information on COVID-19 from Mencap
• Public Health England resources in accessible formats
• COVID-19 guidance for providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping

Further information

• Public Health Matters blog from Public Health England
• Number of COVID-19 cases in the UK

Follow us on Twitter! Follow @CQCProf on Twitter to get regular updates about the work we are doing with professionals and provider organisations in England.