Update from NHS England: Living with COVID-19

The Prime Minister outlined the plan for Living with COVID-19. NHS England have sent a letter to the system providing an initial update, which outlines the areas that are being reviewed and may change, and those areas that will remain the same. This includes guidance around NHS staff who test positive for Covid, testing amongst staff and patients, and visiting guidance for patients in NHS settings.

Healthcare staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 should not attend work until they have had two negative LFD test results taken 24 hours apart. The first test should not be taken before day 5 after their initial positive test. UKHSA has updated the guidance for staff and patients exposed to COVID-19 on the UKHSA guidance pages today.

The letter also confirms that there are no immediate changes to infection prevention control (IPC) requirements. This includes the requirement for staff, patients and visitors to wear a mask/face covering in healthcare settings. The consistent application of IPC measures, alongside the roll out of the vaccine programme and staff and patient testing, remains the most effective defence against the entry and spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings.

Until further notice, dental teams should continue to follow the IPC guidance as detailed in the dental appendix online here, the NHS standard operating procedure online here and operate as detailed in their our last contractual notice of 22 December.