Government to start testing social workers for coronavirus

Government to start testing social workers for coronavirus

The Department of Health and Social Care has published new guidance which sets out part of their 5-pillar strategy for coronavirus testing.

The latest guidance details how they are testing people who have coronavirus-like symptoms to see if they currently have the virus. Their aim is that anyone who needs such a test will be able to have one, but they accept that such a goal will take time to achieve. So, while they are building up their testing capacity at pace, they are offering testing to different groups in a phased approach.

As part of this phased approach, the government has detailed the following categories of people who will now be prioritised for testing, should they show symptoms of having contracted the coronavirus:

• all NHS and social care staff, including hospital, community and primary care, relevant staff providing support to frontline NHS services, and voluntary workers. Examples include:
  • clinicians
  • nurses
  • GPs
  • staff in community pharmacy
  • healthcare assistants
  • those providing hotel accommodation for NHS staff
• police, fire and rescue services, including the National Crime Agency, security agencies, MOD police and the British Transport Police
• local authority staff, including those working with vulnerable children and adults, with victims of domestic abuse, and with the homeless and rough sleepers. Examples include:
  • adult and children’s social care workers and services
  • all frontline local authority staff
  • staff and voluntary workers in residential care settings for vulnerable children and young people including residential special schools, respite provision and residential special post-16 institutions for young people
  • staff providing home care support to children and young people with special needs
  • child, youth and family social caseworkers
  • voluntary sector organisations providing substance misuse treatment and domestic abuse support
  • public and environmental health staff, including inspectors
• defence, prisons, probation and judiciary staff. Examples include:
  • defence personnel and the COVID Support Force
  • staff in prisons (adult and youth) and Approved Premises
  • probation staff
  • judiciary
  • operational HM Courts and Tribunal Service staff
• frontline benefits workers
• other frontline workers as determined by local or national need. Examples include:
  • medical supply chain and distribution workers (including veterinary medicine)
  • testing infrastructure workers (such as laboratories)
  • workers in the funeral industry and coroners
  • frontline Home Office and Border Force staff
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff
  • critical personnel in the continuity of energy, utilities and waste networks
  • critical personnel in food and drink production
  • workers critical to the continuity of essential travel and movement of goods

The Department of Health and Social Care advise that this list is not exhaustive and local and regional areas can refer other frontline workers in their area for testing as determined by need and available capacity.

They also explain in the guidance that these categories apply in England only and that devolved administrations’ lists may vary.

Arranging a test

The Department of Health and Social Care advise that any frontline worker in England who is on the above list and would like to be tested should speak to their employer. Employers of frontline workers will be provided with information on how to make an appointment for their staff through their local resilience forum (where the local region chooses to organise testing in this way), their associated national department or agency, or directly through the Department of Health and Social Care.

Any employer that has any queries should contact their local resilience forum, their associated national government department/agency, or the Department of Health and Social Care at opshub@dhsc.gov.uk.

The test itself involves taking a swab of the nose and the back of the throat, which can be done by the person themselves (self-administered) or by someone else (assisted).