Healthcare workers on this forum

[Twonty Gostelow]

Can anyone here who works in healthcare and has to visit vulnerable people in their flats and houses - and still has to throughout the crisis - let me know what protective equipment their employer is providing for them please?

Masks, gloves, aprons, handwash etc or fuck all.

[shiftwork2]

Not in the community but I believe it's the same: provided no 'aerosol generating procedures' it's gloves, mask (ideally N95) and apron.  There's a paramedic here whose name I can't remember who may confirm / deny, or elaborate on what they do do with AGPs.

We've pretty much closed ventilation lung scanning for pulmonary emboli for all patients (suspected or not) due to the risk and are sending the punters to CT, which has the added benefit of screening for changes in lung anatomy due to COVID19.

[Gambrinus]

There is basically fuck all for community mental health teams. There is slightly more than fuck all for inpatient mental health wards.

[Twonty Gostelow]

Thanks, both. My wife works as an NHS OT in community mental health and has not been provided with anything (like Gambrinus), and I wondered if that was normal.
She's been instructed to work from home and keep in touch with her clients/patients by phone and use judgement calls on personal visits. Ridiculously vague when so many on her caseload are susceptible to psychosis, schizophrenia and suicidal urges, and really need to be seen face to face.
(This is about the risk of transferring the virus to the patient primarily, although I'm obviously worried about my wife.)

[Gambrinus]

We've tried to increase time between depot injections (where possible), to reduce infection risk, although it could all go horribly wrong.

[Gambrinus]

But yeah, it's shit, and as usual people with mental health issues are bottom of the pile. They should have got a sexy illness instead.

[Twonty Gostelow]

Quite. Her team has been disbanded at short notice and she now has no work base - her and her colleagues' offices have been cleared out and reassigned to accommodate other contingencies as the pandemic worsens. Obviously these are exceptional circumstances, but there has been zero guidance from Band 7 managers and higher about safety protocol and legal protection for employees if patients are harmed.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

Not in the community but I believe it's the same: provided no 'aerosol generating procedures' it's gloves, mask (ideally N95) and apron.  There's a paramedic here whose name I can't remember who may confirm / deny, or elaborate on what they do do with AGPs.

I am a paramedic. Currently if any COVID-19 symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, of currently self isolating) then recommended is crappy plastic apron no better than a bin bag, gloves, surgical mask and +/- eye protection (dynamic risk assessment).

If any AGP (so any airway intervention, resuscitation, suctioning) then Tyvek suit (most of which seem to be broken so having to bodge up with tape), FFP3 mask (not been fit tested, not enough of them apparently), boot covers, eye protection, double gloving.

As there is such a shortage we are asked to attend as solo to property (as part of crew) to assess patient. If any need for help from crew mate (extrication, treatment etc.) then radio them and they then need to PPE-up.

Problem is, we are finding out the the triad of symptoms (cough, fever, SOB) are fairly non-specific, and people COVID-19+ are sometimes presenting with no fever, but symptoms such as vomiting/diarrhoea, amnosmia/ageusia (which we later sometimes find out in hospital if we can ask a friendly receptionist). So in reality we should probably have PPE for everyone.

[Kryton]

I'm a carer - at all times we're supposed to have an apron, nitrile gloves and hand gel.
But I've been self isolating for a few days and our company can't seem to get hand gel for love nor money. I'm low on gloves too, but I think the office has more in stock.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

I'm a carer - at all times we're supposed to have an apron, nitrile gloves and hand gel.
But I've been self isolating for a few days and our company can't seem to get hand gel for love nor money. I'm low on gloves too, but I think the office has more in stock.

Vital service for vulnerable people. Scandalous that you don't have proper PPE to protect them and yourself. You're doing a great job.

[Zetetic]

And also one of the only ways[nb]Along with mental health teams, DNs, ARTs, care home workers...[/nb] we've got of keeping millions of people from hospital, due to COVID-19 or otherwise.

It does a feel a bit like the service has lost sight of this, while getting very excited about reconfiguring A&Es, pop-up ICUs and home-made ventilators to keep the obviously close-to-death alive and suffering a bit longer. I know we're going to need a lot in-hospital stuff whatever, but I wish there was more noise about looking after people in their own homes, including letting them die at home.

[Kryton]

Had a circular email from work that feels about 2-3 weeks too late.

This is a bit harrowing:

Salary Payments for staying at home: our understanding is the we are not entitled to receive government money to keep people at home because our work can continue despite the virus. In fact it is anticipated that more care workers will be required to help provide services so please encourage your friends to join our teams. Use of facemasks We recognise that many care workers feel that they are placing themselves and their families at risk by the nature of the work they are doing.
We also know that wearing a facemask for routine social contact can offer people a sense of additional protection when you are worried about your own safety, or that of our family. However, we need to reinforce the message that facemasks are only required when supporting someone who has signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
Facemasks are not required for normal working with people who are not symptomatic. Instructions for care workers to self-isolate after contact with someone who has COVID-19. We have received a significant number of reports that care workers who have been in contact with someone showing symptoms of COVID-19 have been told to self-isolate.
Jenny Harries, Government's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, has today confirmed that when care workers find a service user who is showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature, or a new and continuous cough) they are not required to self-isolate, unless they themselves go on to develop symptoms. In this situation, care workers should follow normal cross-infection control measures, including surface cleaning and (most importantly) proper handwashing.

Basically get out, you won't get paid otherwise. Don't self isolate. Unless you've got the symptoms.
Sod your families, do your duty.