Policy Updates 10th January 2022
The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 10th January 2022.
Policy News
Omicron outbreak management recovery testing
UKHSA have agreed to move Omicron outbreak management in care homes in line with that of Delta/Alpha. This means that recovery testing will be undertaken at day 14 (rather than day 28) and following the results, and a risk assessment, an agreement can be made for restrictions to be stood down. Operational guidance is being updated and health protection teams will be made aware of the changes imminently.
Policy Updates
Mandatory vaccinations
It was announced on 9 November 2021 that vaccination will become a condition of deployment in wider health and social care settings. I am emailing to inform you that the regulations have been made and therefore, the 12-week grace period has begun. Please see below for some important dates:
6 January – Regulations made. Start of 12-week grace period.
3 February – 8 weeks before regulations are enforced (and the period required between the first and second vaccination dose).
1 April – Regulations enforced. All staff in scope must be fully vaccinated or have secured a medical exemption.
Guidance will be published in the coming weeks detailing the scope of the policy. In addition to publishing the guidance, we will be updating the Q&A and producing digital assets and explainers for stakeholders and providers to use as they wish. If there is anything additional you need to properly communicate the policy to your audiences, please let me know and we will do our best to accommodate.
This is separate to Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment in CQC-regulated care homes, which is already in place. As per the announcement made on 9 November (attached), the regulations for the wider health and social care settings amend the existing care home regulations. Therefore, from today:
An unvaccinated new starter can be deployed in a care home 21 days after receiving one dose of an authorised COVID-19 vaccine as long as that dose was received less than 10 weeks ago
Clinical trial participants can evidence their participation in order to be exempt from the requirement
From 1 April:
Self-exemption for staff vaccinated overseas will end and from 1 April, staff vaccinated overseas will need to provide evidence that they have been vaccinated in line with the schedule in the regulations or may need to receive a top-up vaccine dose, as per UKHSA advice.
Confirmatory PCR tests to be temporarily suspended for positive lateral flow test results
Earlier today the UKHSA announced that from 11 January in England, people who receive a positive LFT result (and do not have symptoms) will not need to take a confirmatory PCR test and will be required to self-isolate immediately from the date of the test. The LFT result should be reported using the government website. We have been told that this also applies to adult social care but note that any regular testing regime involving PCR testing stays in force. This change will be temporary until the number of cases comes down.
Those with COVID-19 symptoms should continue to test using a PCR test, rather than a LFT test, and self-isolate if positive - even if they have had a recent negative LFT result.
The press release linked above also has a number of other caveats where people will need to continue to use PCR tests:
Those who are eligible for the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment must have a confirmatory PCR test
Those participating in research or surveillance programmes may need to continue to take confirmatory PCR tests
Those who have been identified as being eligible for new antiviral treatments will need to take a confirmatory PCR to access the treatment.
Do note that the guidance allowing people to leave self-isolation as early as day 8 remains providing they have a negative LFT on day 6 and 7, and continue to have negative LFTs up to and including day 10. We realise there is ambiguity around what happens if someone continues to test positive on day 10 and onward - see below.
Testing Issues and Isolation Guidance Confusion
On yesterday's members' call many providers highlighted confusion with testing and isolation guidance, as well as problems accessing testing or receiving results. This includes confusion about what happens if a staff member continues to test positive after day 10. We have raised all of the issues with DHSC and are awaiting a response.
It is worth noting that NHS Test and Trace has sent out an email acknowledging the problems with the PCR test turnaround times. This is due to staff shortages in laboratories. Anyone who receives a void test result should take another test.
VCOD for wider social care settings
This is a heads up that it is possible that the minister will sign off on the expanded VCOD regulations tomorrow or Friday to ensure that the 12 week grace period ends at the beginning of April. The regulations were debated in parliament before Christmas.
We will circulate confirmation when we have it.
Delay to Integrated Care Systems
The target date for the implementation of Integrated Care Systems has been pushed back from April to 1 July 2022. This is to give enough time for the Health and Care Bill to pass through parliament and be implemented.
Care Home Visiting: Essential Care Givers & Isolation in Care
Please find attached three documents:
ECG Poster
Factsheet on essential caregivers
Letter-isolation in care
The factsheet and poster outline some basic information about the Essential Care Giver role. The letter is a joint letter calling on Directors of Public Health. Directors of Adult Social Services and Local Authority Public Health Teams and UKHSA Health Protection Teams to ensure that the essential care giver role is understood and promoted. Please circulate the letter alongside the two other documents to your local DPHs, DASSs and HPTs.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult social care settings
Outlines the COVID-19 testing available for testing staff, residents and visitors for all adult social care settings.
Change made:
Removed on-site testing and self-test attachments and added ‘Step-by-step guide to COVID-19 self-testing: SureScreen 25 pack nose-only test’.
GOV.UK
Stakeholder Updates
Record level of flu jab uptake in those aged 65 and over
More people aged 65 and over than ever before have received their flu vaccine this year, announces the UK Health Security Agency.
GOV.UK
Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults
Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults.
GOV.UK
Health committee urges government to ‘further progress’ NHS digitalisation
The Health and Social Care Committee has urged the government “to make further progress on the digitalisation of NHS and care services” as it was revealed that around a fifth of trusts in the NHS are still largely paper based.
Digital Health
Trade Papers
Calls for review of COVID rules as care homes close to admissions
The government is facing growing calls to revise COVID-19 rules after hundreds of care homes have closed to new admissions. The UK’s largest charity care provider, MHA, has called on the government to review its visiting restrictions with 70% of its homes currently closed to new admissions due to low levels of staffing and COVID outbreaks.
Care Home Professional
NHSX confirms extension of Better Security, Better Care programme
NHSX has confirmed the extension of a programme that supports care providers’ data protection and cyber security. The Better Security, Better Care programme will continue to support care providers throughout 2022/23 through the use of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit.
Care Home Professional