Face Coverings
New regulations for hospital visits in respect of wearing face coverings when attending hospitals will be implemented within the practice.
By wearing a face covering you can significantly limit the spread of covid 19 within the community.
Please see below for some guidance:
An effective face covering should cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably
Surgical face masks are acceptable, but are not necessary; a face covering can be as simple as a scarf, cloth mask or bandanna.
You should wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on and taking it off
Avoid touching your face at all time, even when wearing a face covering
Please follow other infection control safety measures , including social distancing, regular hand washing and adhering to our one way system
Whilst we ask visitors to wear face coverings for their protection and others, the guidance states that the following groups do not need to wear a face covering:
Young children under the age of three
Anyone with anatomical difficulties that would make wearing a face covering impossible or painful e.g. facial injuries
People with breathing difficulties
Anyone who experiences severe discomfort or distress while wearing a face covering e.g. those with severe claustrophobia
COVID-19 (coronavirus) update: May 2020
From Monday 18 May 2020, Public Health for Northern Ireland have issued an update in respect of Covid-19 . Symptoms now include:
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature); OR
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);
OR
a loss of or change in sense of smell or taste.
Symptom Checker
Please click on the link below to access the Public Health Symptom Checker for further advice.
https://check.covid-19.hscni.net/SymptomChecker/Introduction
Testing for COVID-19
Everyone in Northern Ireland with symptoms of coronavirus is now eligible for testing.
Please note testing of HSC staff, care workers and care home residents with and without symptoms will continue to be prioritised in order to protect the most vulnerable from coronavirus outbreaks in care settings
When to get tested
You should get tested in the first 3 days of coronavirus symptoms appearing, although testing is considered effective up until day 5.
No testing should be undertaken after day 5, unless it’s for a specific reason which will be agreed on a case by case basis by local microbiologists.
You will also have to be able to maintain strict isolation measures during your commute to a testing centre and while waiting for your results (this includes members of your household).
Testing for the members of the public
Members of the public can book coronavirus testing if they are experience symptoms as outlined above, these can be booked at:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-for-coronavirus/ask-for-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/
Covid - 19 High Risk Patients (Shielding letters)
We are currently processing individual letters to patient who fall into the categories outlined below. These letters will be posted w/c 30/3/20.
List of diseases and conditions considered to be very high risk:
Solid organ transplant recipients
People with specific cancers
People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy or lung cancer
People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD
People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)
People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
People who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired