|
Welcome to this week's newsletter, published for adult social care providers.
Thank you for all your continued hard work to support people with social care needs in Devon. As the national vaccination booster campaign gets underway we will start to publish information to help get third jabs to staff and vulnerable people as per the national priorities.
Remember that we keep the content and structure of our PEN website up-to-date and your suggestions on how to improve the website are always welcome.
COVID-19 booster programme starts!
COVID-19 booster vaccinations started being offered this week across the UK.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunology (JCVI) recommended that around 30 million people should be offered the third dose.
The programme will be rolled out to the same priority groups as previously, with those eligible receiving their booster from six months after their second doses. They include:
- people living in residential care homes for older adults
- adults over the age of 50
- frontline health and social care workers
- people aged 16 to 49 years old with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
- adult household contacts of people who are immunosuppressed
The move will ensure the protection vaccines provide for those most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will be maintained over the winter months.
The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows vaccines have saved more than 112,300 lives and prevented 143,600 hospitalisations and 24 million cases in England.
Data published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) this week shows people who have not been vaccinated account for around 99 per cent of all deaths involving COVID-19 in England in the first half of this year.
Please remember that The NHS will contact people directly to let them know when it is their turn.
COVID-19 booster vaccines for frontline health and social care staff
Frontline health and social care staff are a priority group for the vaccination booster roll-out and here is the latest news on the programme in Devon…
Care homes - staff and residents
In most parts of the county GP Practices will be visiting homes to deliver vaccinations. However, in parts of North Devon and Plymouth, North Devon Healthcare Trust and University Hospital Plymouth will be making vaccination visits. Please wait for your vaccination team to contact you, which we expect they will do in the next few days
In almost all cases both eligible residents and staff will be vaccinated during the visit, please refer to our Care Homes Booster FAQ's for any exceptions. Please also look at webinars tile if you haven't been able to make any.
- Where it is not possible to vaccinate a resident during the visit care homes should contact their vaccination team or NHS Devon CCG direct to arrange for a vaccination.
- Where a member of staff misses the vaccination visit they should book a vaccination online via the National Booking Service, self-declaring as a frontline Health and Social Care worker when making their appointment - Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk) – or by ringing 119.
The administered vaccine is likely to be the Pfizer vaccine regardless of what vaccine people had for their first or second dose and the booster will only be able to be given 6 months after their second vaccine.
Please update the Capacity Tracker with both Resident and Staff covid-booster and flu vaccinations so we can understand progress and gaps.
We will keep our Care Homes Booster FAQ's updated and publish further guidance when it is issued.
Other front line health and social care workers
Frontline health and social care workers should be able to book a COVID-19 booster vaccination through the national Booking Service from Friday 24 September by self-declaring as a frontline health and social care worker when making their appointment - Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk) – or by ringing 119
All frontline Social Care workers who were vaccinated during Phase 1 are eligible provided 6 months has passed since their second vaccination.
Booster vaccination slots are continually being released, so if you are not able to find availability that works for you please do check back again later.
We appreciate there may be lots of other queries and we will share further communications with you, as NHS colleagues develop and implement the booster programme vaccination plans over the autumn and winter.
Capacity Tracker Q&A sessions and survey
Capacity Tracker Q&A sessions are held regularly on Thursdays at 8:30am. Please put this link in your diary. Click here to join the meeting
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) want to better understand the challenges you are having so they have put a survey on the Capacity Tracker which will take about 5 minutes to complete.
Please try and take time to complete this. From the main menu, select Care Home Set Up /Update tile or Home Care Set Up /Update tile then DHSC Workforce Challenges Sept '21 within the Survey's column.
We appreciate that updating the Capacity Tracker every day is an additional task for staff who are already busy, but please try and update this on a daily basis.
For queries about the regular meetings or local Southwest issues, contact Donna Schell (donna.schell@nhs.net) Mobile: 07563644777
For queries relating to the interpretation of the questions, please contact capacitytracker-guidance@dhsc.gov.uk
For any technical/system queries please contact the Capacity Tracker team using necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
you can also contact the Capacity Tracker Support Centre on 0191 691 3729 or via email at necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
Shielding programme ends for most vulnerable....
More than 52,000 people in Devon previously identified as clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 will be informed by the government that the national shielding programme has ended.
It means that their details will no longer be held on the Shielded Patient List and they will not be advised to shield in the future. The government will also not be providing specific national guidance for them to follow, and instead advise that, as a minimum, they should continue to follow the same guidance as everyone else.
....but support is still available
NHS Volunteer Responders are still available to help with things like collecting shopping, medication, or other essential supplies, and with transport to medical appointments. They can also provide a regular, friendly phone call. There are also lots of local community groups listed on our PinPoint website.
If you are struggling financially or with returning to work, there are a range of government services that may be useful, depending on your eligibility. Access to Work offers mental health support for people returning to work after a period of furlough or shielding, and travel to work support for those who may no longer be able to safely travel by public transport. If you are struggling financially, you may also be eligible to apply for Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance. For more information on benefits, please visit the government's website.
Government reveals COVID-19 Winter Plan reminder
Remember that you can read the government's COVID-19 autumn and winter plan in full on their website.
Cleaning resources for care homes
NHS England has released a set of informative cleaning resources for care homes and their staff.
Frontline adult social care workers are eligible for a free flu and COVID-19 booster vaccine to help boost their immunity this winter.
A new communications toolkit and range of marketing materials, including Q&A leaflets, posters, social media graphics and email signatures, have been launched for providers to encourage care colleagues to taken up both vaccines. Printed materials are available to pre-order now, and digital assets will be available from next week.
Please use the poster with QR code and fill out this simple form to access a letter from DCC/NHS confirming your eligibility for the vaccine.
In this blog Public Health England's Dr Éamonn O'Moore explains how crucial it is for all who work directly with vulnerable people to make sure they have a flu jab every year.
International Infection Prevention Week in October
Join us in celebrating the importance of infection prevention as part of International Infection Prevention Week 18th to 22nd October 2021.
Each day will have a different focus:
- Monday - Bugs: The good, the bad and the bugly
- Tuesday - Hand Hygiene
- Wednesday - Food Hygiene
- Thursday - Winter Readiness
- Friday - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
There will be a number of events and activities throughout the week that are FREE to join, suitable for all ages, and all skill levels.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation on mandatory vaccination for frontline health and social care staff reminder
The government is undertaking a further public consultation on whether or not to make COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment for other frontline health and social care workers to help protect vulnerable people. The consultation also explores whether flu vaccination should be a condition of deployment given the risks from flu and of flu and COVID co-circulating.
Please take part and share your perspectives. The consultation closes at 11.45pm on Friday 22 October.
Vaccination and pregnancy reassurance
Pregnant women are being reassured by the NHS in Devon that having the COVID-19 vaccination is the best and safest way to protect them and their baby from the serious complications that can be caused by the virus.
Test kit expiry dates reminder
Department of Health and Social Care lab teams have identified a significant number of PCR tests have been returned for analysis that have passed their expiry date. Whilst this does not pose any risk to the individual being tested, they do need you to ensure that all tests that are returned to labs are in date. Any returned tests that have expired will be classed as void and you may see an increased number of void results over the coming days.
To ensure you are using valid tests and most importantly, minimise the chance of further void results, it is important to:
- Always take note of the expiry date when managing your inventory and use the tests in the order they were received.
- Dispose of any tests that have expired, or are within one week of expiry.
Remember to share your good news stories in this newsletter
Has your support helped transformed someone’s life? Have you got innovative practice to share? Send us your celebratory photos and words and we’ll help share good practice.
Revisit previous good news stories
|
