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The most up-to-date information from these bulletins can be found on our website.
For general advice about COVID-19 please go to: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
This bulletin covers:
COVID-19 guidance and updates: prevalence of COVID-19 remains high; PPE portal; DHSC webinars on recent guidance changes; leaving hospital
Social care reform: charging reforms survey; health and social care levy
Training and events: IPC event: working beyond COVID; bowel cancer awareness
Digital social care: digital care records
COVID-19 guidance and updates
Prevalence of COVID-19 remains high
Prevalence of COVID-19 remains at high levels across the country, according to the findings from the final report of REACT-1, one of the largest studies into COVID-19 infections in England, published on 6 April. Prevalence in England was 6.37% in March.
PPE portal
The guidance explaining how to order COVID-19 PPE was updated on 7 April to reflect that the PPE portal can be used by health and social care settings that were previously supplied via their local authority or local resilience forum.
DHSC webinars on recent guidance changes
In this recorded webinar (6 April), which you can now watch on YouTube, Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, and other DHSC colleagues, discuss the changes to testing and infection prevention and control in care homes
And in this recorded webinar (7 April), also on YouTube, they discuss changes to COVID-19 measures in non-care home adult social care services
Leaving hospital
Hospital discharge service information, explaining how health and care systems should support the safe and timely discharge of people who no longer need to stay in hospital was updated on 11 April. The update added a link to hospital discharge and community support guidance.
Social care reform
Charging reforms survey
Last year the government announced adult social care charging reforms.
Now, it’s looking to improve its understanding of local provider markets and those currently receiving care by asking you to fill in a survey hosted on Capacity Tracker.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says: “By sharing information about the amount people pay for care services, you will help local authorities move towards a fair cost of care for residents, users and businesses.”
The survey closes on 18 April.
Health and social care levy
Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, writing in the Nursing Times (6 April) to mark the introduction of the health and social care levy, said: “This funding will be vital in giving the sector the chance to level up standards for staff… and provide better opportunities for training and development.”
Training and events
Working Beyond Covid: Infection Prevention Control Spring 2022
Key Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) working practice as we ‘work beyond COVID’ is the theme of this free online event, run by the community-based social care Infection Prevention Control Project.
If you are a:
- personal assistant
- Support With Confidence member/applicant (PAs and businesses)
- carer
- volunteer
or you are an unregulated adult social care provider or offer day services, you are invited to join this session.
It’s on 27 April from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, on MS Teams.
Register your place on Eventbrite
If you’d like more information, please email: PAIPCProtectCovid19@eastsussex.gov.uk
Bowel cancer awareness month
April is bowel cancer awareness month. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with the disease: that’s nearly 43,000 people each year.
Mike Derrick, Managing Director at Oakdown House, a residential care home for adults with learning disabilities, said: "Bowel cancer awareness month is an important opportunity for all care providers and carers to make sure they have cancer screening and cancer awareness at the centre of their care plans.
“People with learning disabilities are at greater risk, so staff need to look out for early signs and symptoms.”
Bowel Cancer UK is hosting a series of short awareness talks during April. You can sign up for these or ask to book them in for your organisation at a later date.
Digital Social Care
Digital care records
If you are thinking of implementing a new digital care records system, you can listen to these providers who have shared their learning and experiences of implementing and using electronic care planning software.
The recordings are on the Digital Social Care website as part of the ‘adopting digital care records’ masterclass series.
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