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Frequently asked questions for Trust staff
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Coronavirus
All units should follow the standard operating procedure for clothing during Covid-19. Staff should have a change of clothes or scrubs in work.
It is advisable that staff who are based in offices within ward areas observe the guidance to change clothing for travelling to and from work but not in between wards.
Staff based in the community are not expected to change clothing.
Scrubs will not be available in the community. Other work wear options are currently being considered where a uniform is not available already.
Yes. Therefore, leave should be carefully scheduled taking this into account.
No. If leaving the ward for short period of time e.g. breaks, there is no need to change scrubs.
However If leaving ward areas for a longer period it is best practice to change into your own clothing.
No, scrubs are NOT Personal Protective Equipment, they are work wear capable of being laundered at a higher temperature than most clothes.
No. Scrubs are not person specific and should not be taken home.
All scrubs should be kept at work and be laundered by the Trust.
The scrubs are for ward based staff who do not currently get a uniform and includes medical staff.
This does NOT include:
• Ward admin staff who do not come into contact with service users regularly. If admin staff are based on the ward with no physical separation from service users they should come within these procedures
• Pharmacy teams
• Visitors including portering, estates staff etc.
• Housekeeping staff (already uniformed)
• Other staff who will visit the ward for a short period
If there are individual needs in these groups due to exceptional circumstances advice should be sought from infection prevention and control.
Administrative staff in reception areas do not need scrubs. The need for scrubs is dependent on the length of time on the ward (longer than an hour) and the duties they are undertaking e.g. doing physical care with patients.
Yes. If staff want to wear undergarments they should be of a material that can be washed to 60°.
The undergarments must be short sleeved tops, to expose the arms for effective hand hygiene procedures and to remain ‘bare below the elbow’.