Coronavirus staff guidance University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

As you are undoubtedly aware, there are nationally reported issues with obtaining lateral flow tests (LFTs) currently; this is particularly affecting the NHS.

UHB is doing all we can to secure more supplies of LFTs for our colleagues, to enable as many staff as possible to safely return to work early, under recently updated guidance on when self-isolation can end after seven days (previously ten days).

The Trust has been able to secure a limited of supply of kits which are available to collect in person via the site offices at Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Solihull and Good Hope hospitals over the Bank Holiday weekend, in the event that staff are unable to access kits from the Government website. The allocation of these kits will be prioritised for clinical teams during this period.

Please attend the site team offices, in person, to collect a lateral flow test. The offices are open 24/7 and priority will be given to patient-facing staff.

Please do not email or phone the site  team about lateral flow tests, under any circumstances.

Lateral test FAQs are available:

• LFT frequently asked questions

To maximise available supplies available within the Trust, we would like to ask all staff to thoroughly check their departments/homes and return any unused surplus LFTs, to ensure that these can be redistributed to staff in patient-facing areas of the Trust, where there are significant staffing pressures. This will help facilitate the return of clinical colleagues who may be self-isolating and are unable to obtain a LFT to enable them to return to work.

Please return any unused LFTs to Occupational Health Department at: Queen Elizabeth (3rd floor North Block – South Corridor); Heartlands (Ground Floor, Stratford House); or Good Hope, as soon as possible, via the internal post.

For those staff who are currently able to follow Trust guidance to work  from home, and do not require LFTs to be released early from isolation to return to work, we ask that you either return your unused LFTs in person to one of the Occupational Health sites above, or drop off to your department for a colleague to return via the internal post.

Please note, if you are currently in isolation under current COVID-19 guidance, you must not leave your home to return an unused kit.

Many thanks for your on-going support and cooperation.