Coronavirus staff guidance University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

From today (Monday 17 January), staff who receive a positive COVID-19 result, either by lateral flow or PCR test, must complete a period of self-isolation, which may be reduced from seven days to five days as per Government guidance.

Staff will be required to take a lateral flow test on the fifth day and sixth day of their isolation period (24 hours apart).

If both of these LFD results are negative, they can return to work on day six only under the following conditions:

• The staff member should not have any COVID-19 symptoms
• The staff member should continue to undertake daily LFD tests on day seven, eight, nine and ten
• If any of these LFD test results are positive, the staff member should isolate and wait 24 hours before taking the next LFD test
• If the LFD test is positive on day ten, the staff member may return to work if their manager is able to accommodate them, depending on whether or not they see patients. If the manager is unsure, they should discuss this with the Infection Prevention and Control Team. If after 14 days the individual is still testing positive via lateral flow, they can stop carrying out daily lateral flow tests and return to work
• On days the staff member is working, the LFD test should be taken prior to beginning their shift, as close as possible to the start time
• The staff member must continue to comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE must be worn properly throughout the day. Please refer to the updated PPE guidelines for the correct use of PPE. Most recently, this includes a change to wearing FFP3 masks in all "hot" areas (visual guide available under "Related pages")

If the staff member works with patients who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, a risk assessment should be undertaken by the divisional/department management, and consideration given to redeployment for the remainder of the ten-day isolation period.

If any of the above cannot be met, the staff member should not come to work and should follow the stay at home guidance for the full ten-day period.

Household contacts of the staff member should follow the stay at home guidance, which outlines details on self-isolation requirements.

• GOV.UK: Stay at home guidance

Staff are also reminded that they no longer require a confirmatory PCR test, unless they are displaying COVID-19 symptoms, but receiving a negative lateral flow result. If at any point during your regular twice weekly lateral flow testing you a receive a positive result via LFD, you should self-isolate as per the guidance above. You do not need a PCR test. 

Please continue to report all LFD results, whether positive or negative via the Trust's reporting form.

• Self testing kits reporting form

To help remind staff of what they need to regarding COVID-19 testing and surveillance, in every situation, a flowchart has been attached (see "Downloads"). The flowchart will also be saved as an image in the staff closed Facebook groups for ease of access when offsite.

In the attached you will also see we have developed a new electronic PCR testing process. You will need to use this if your area is identified as an outbreak area by Infection Prevention and Control, or if you are on site and develop COVID-19 symptoms. The flowchart details how this process will work.