standard operating procedure swabbing staff and their ...€¦ · standard operating procedure v14...

Standard Operating Procedure v14 1 28th April 2020

Standard Operating Procedure

Swabbing staff and their household members due to suspected CoVid-19

The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) has been tasked with arranging swabbing tests for colleagues / household members who may be isolating due to suspected CoVid-19. This is to enable staff to return to work if they are found to be negative and guide where to go if positive. This is open to the NHS Family in the West Suffolk area

WEST SUFFOLK HOSPITAL EUROFINS SWABBING PROGRAMME

This is currently a Monday to Sunday swabbing service, 08:00 – 15:00. The results to staff / household members are done over a 7 day service, to enable a 72hr responsive service.

Applicable to: Anyone responsible for referring, contacting and booking staff / house hold members into WSFT CoVid-19 swabbing clinics, the staff who are running the clinics, and those who are reporting the results.

A flow chart is available in Appendix A for a different visual aid

1. Staff member or line manager to submit completed swabbing request form via this link http://www.wsh.nhs.uk/swabrequest (Details in Appendix B)

2. Any appointment changes/cancellations or queries regarding testing can be emailed to [email protected].

3. Information will be collated into a web content management system and will be available for the Surgical Divisional Operational Command Cell (SDOCC) and the Swab Nursing Team to download and pass to Telephone Appointment Centre Team (TAC) by 10:30am daily. (This will be stored in a shared spreadsheet on the O Drive. IT will be designing a dashboard to replace this in the near future).

4. Surgical Division to prioritise requests if capacity is an issue

5. TAC to contact staff / house members, using the provided script. Check details, ensure they are booking the correct person (the person with symptoms), register if not already registered on the hospital system, ensuring the NHS number is populated, and book staff / household members into CoVid-19 clinic, using the below steps to create the encounter (Appendix C)

6. If TAC adds any additional people to a clinic on the afternoon of the same day they must let Admissions Team know by 11:30am to enable the clinic list to be finalised and passed to A&E for the PM clinic to be prepped.

7. TAC to add slot comment stating who is being booked in for testing out of the following: WSFT Staff Member WSFT Staff Household member EEAST Staff Member EEAST Staff Household member Other Healthcare Worker Other Healthcare Household Member

mailto:[email protected]


8. Admissions to work though clinic list and place order on eCare for CoVid-19 RNA swab, then print requisition form for each person. Clinic list for following day to be printed and taken to A&E Reception along with the requisition forms for the people who are booked into that clinic.

9. ED admin staff to prep clinic and print labels.

10. Staff / Household member to present with NHS ID Badge or ID when they attend for swabbing.

11. Swabs to be taken by A&E staff and sent along with completed Eurofins Clinical Information Form (ensuring the [email protected] email address is included on the form – stickers to be provided) (Appendix D)

12. Clinic list to be marked with a tick if the staff / household member attended and was swabbed and a cross if they did not, along with the reason (eg Did Not Attend, DNA)

13. Requisition form to have the correct spare Eurofins swab sticker placed on it by the staff taking the swabs, and filed along with the completed clinic list in the designated folder in the A&E office.

14. Previous day’s clinic list to be collected from A&E office once a day by Admissions team, requisition forms to be delivered to Microbiology Laboratory (staffed daily until 8pm). Microbiology to book samples into WinPath.

15. Clinic list to be taken back to Admissions office and staff / household members to be checked in and out on eCare (or marked as DNA) as appropriate and specimen marked as collected on eCare

16. Citylink to collect Specimens daily from ED Reception (Monday - Friday 09:30 and 13:30, Saturday and Sunday will be 15:30)

17. Line Managers to be informed of those who DNA, or who TAC are unable to make contact with despite numerous attempts.

18. Eurofins to send results to central swabbing email: [email protected]

19. Results email to be forwarded to [email protected]

20. Results to be entered on to WinPath and authorised by Microbiology Team so they will then appear in eCare. Please note there may be a delay in completing this due to workload priorities.

21. Swab Nursing Team (SNT) team to contact staff / household member who have tested negative for CoVid-19 (Appendix E) and inform their Line Manager to prompt a return to work discussion if appropriate (7 day cover 9am – 8pm)

22. SNT to update spreadsheet and filter results to WSFT staff and forward to [email protected] [email protected] and [email protected]

23. The Swab Nursing Team to contact staff/ household member who have tested positive for CoVid 19 (Appendix F) and inform their Line Manager (7 day cover 9am – 8pm).

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


COPDOCK: NATIONAL TESTING PROGRAMME

Applicable to: staff living nearer Ipswich and to manager booking them through [email protected]

You can use self-referral link as well https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/

As part of the Government’s national COVID-19 testing programme a drive-through facility has been created at the Park and Ride site, just off the Copdock (A12 / A14) interchange to the south of Ipswich. This is a Government-led programme, supported by Suffolk Local Resilience Forum partners. It is available to symptomatic NHS staff and public sector key workers, and members of their household, across the Eastern region. At this time the testing site is not for public use, but will be used to support those key workers to return to work as soon as is practicable.

Facility at Ipswich (Copdock P&R, London Rd, Ipswich, IP8 3TQ) is available between 0900 – 1700hrs. Booking a test is via the central hub which is open between 0900 – 1700hrs.

Key points:

The test is optimised for swabbing between Day 1 and Day 5 from the onset of symptoms. We cannot test outside this period.

We can only test symptomatic key workers and other symptomatic household members to allow the key worker to return to frontline service.

Other symptomatic household members includes children over 5 years old.

The facility is self-test swabbing and individual needs to be able to drive to Ipswich in their own vehicle.

Please ensure that individuals have their vehicle registration number to hand when making contact with central hub.

Photographic identity is required on arrival at the facility.

The test will confirm if an individual who is showing symptoms of the disease actually has CoVid-19. It will not confirm whether they have had it (the antibody test) and have now recovered. Like any diagnostic test, there is always the possibility of a false negative or a false positive result. False negatives are also a possibility if a sub-optimal swabbing technique is used.

The central hub booking service is run by colleagues from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and individuals should be patient if the telephone lines are engaged. The booking service takes around 10 minutes to ensure that they have accurately recorded the key workers details. Please only use the testing system for those essential workers that are delivering frontline services and need to return to work urgently.

People that have been swabbed will receive a text within 24/48hrs and it is their responsibility to inform their line manager and HR of result.

If you have further questions about the booking process or testing criteria, do not contact the central hub dealing with the bookings. Please email [email protected] and they will respond.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/mailto:[email protected]


EAST SUFFOLK & NORTH EAST ESSEX FOUNDATION TRUST: TESTING PROGRAMME

Applicable to: staff living nearer Ipswich & Colchester and to line managers booking them into this system

Staff can get a test at one of the drive-through testing stations located at Colchester and

Ipswich hospitals - can choose the most convenient location. The testing stations are open

from 8am until 4pm every day. Children under 16 can only be tested at the Colchester

Hospital testing station.

Can only be tested between days 1-4 of your symptoms as, nationally, it is agreed that after this time the test is not as accurate. You must have one of the two main symptoms - a new continuous cough or a high temperature - to qualify for testing.

Need all the information on electronic form (https://bit.ly/nhs-staff-testing) to be fully completed: please check that entered your details correctly so we can make sure staff receive results. Once submitted this form a call from ESNEFT booking team advising when to attend an appointment and a follow up email with a map and information of what to do when reach the testing station. Please arrive at your given time. Arriving early or late may delay your test.

Results take between 24 and 48 hours to come back to us so, depending on what time of day you are tested, it may be three days after your test before we contact you.

NORFOLK & NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: TESTING PROGRAMME

Applicable to: staff living nearer Norwich and to line managers booking them into this system

Individuals can refer themselves or line managers can send lists of staff to the [email protected] email inbox. NNUH would need staff or household members name, DOB and a contact telephone number, the telephone number is very important as they have a booking team to call and book.

If staff member is asymptomatic and would like to test the household member. If the household member is unrelated or over the age of 18, NNUH would need to speak with them that they agree to testing. If all household symptomatic, all tested.

In the near future, the plan is for individuals to refers themselves via a weblink/app that has been created which will soon be shared outside of NNUH.

Testing is done at a drive-through site at the long-stay car-park Centrum Building, Norwich Research Park – NR4 7UG. The sat nav will direct you to the main entrance, but the entrance to the drive-through site is on Hethersett Lane.

Running a 7-day service. Expected to test every staff or household member who is symptomatic. This is currently covering WSFT staff (hospital and community). It does not cover Ambulance, Mental Health, GPs yet and a start date to be confirmed.

https://bit.ly/nhs-staff-testingmailto:[email protected]


NNUH have a dedicated results team who will call through the result to the individual: a clinician will call through positive results and an admin team will call through negative results. It is the individuals responsibility to notify their line managers.

ROYAL PAPWORTH HOSPITAL : TESTING PROGRAMME

Applicable to: staff living nearer Cambridge and to line managers booking them into this system

Individuals can refer themselves or line managers to [email protected] email inbox. They will form an occupational health referral to [email protected]. Would need staff or household members name, DOB and a contact telephone number, the telephone number is very important as they have a booking team to call and book.

The booking team will call staff or household member and book into appointment. Testing is done at: Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Papworth Rd, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 0AY. There is a large white drive through marquee at the front of RPH. The staff or household member drives up and will be instructed when to lower their window and raise it again.

The result should be given by WSH OH or central staff service – this should be locally provided and developed. The results can be sent through to the same centralised email (as many others are doing) as we receive the referrals from.

This is a 7 day service. The results will be given to the staff by usually 48hrs following swabbing, and will be the referring organisations role to call staff or household number.

Reports file will be received daily, by providers returned to required team of the referring organisation.

HOME SWABBING: TESTING PROGRAMME

Applicable to: staff as a last option if they are unable to drive in and someone cannot do it for them

This is decided on a case by case basis and contact [email protected] to discuss further.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


Appendix A

Eurofins swabbing workflow

Staff Member

• Complete Swabbing Request Form and submit via Intranet Page

Swab Nursing Team

• Sign into Contensis and download all entries to CSV file.

• Copy all unread entries to master spreadsheet located in O Drive/Surgical Dvision/ Covid 19 staff swabbing

• Send all unread entries to TAC team for booking before 10:30am

• Mark unread entries on Contensis as read.

Telephone Appointment Centre Team

• If there is insufficient capacity TAC should inform Covid Swabbing Nursing Team and Surgical Division Tactical Cell.

• TAC to contact staff on the list provided by the STT, confirm whether it is staff or household member with symptoms. The person with symptoms is to be swabbed. Register staff/household member if not already registered on e-care and book into Swab clinic.

• TAC to add a comment to each slot stating whether patient is WSFT Staff or Household member

Admissions Team

• Admissions Team to work through clinic list placing orders on e-care for COVID 19 RNA and print each requisition form

• Clinic list to be printed for following day and taken to A&E Reception Desk along with all the requsition forms for all patients booked onto clinic by 4pm daily.

A&E Swab Team

• Take swabs from patients booked into Swabbing clinic, and tick them off on printed clinic list

• Mark down any patients who do not attend or are not swabbed for any reason

• Complete Eurofin Swabbing form

• Add appropriate Eurofin swab sticker to the patient's requisition form and file along with completed clinic list for collection by Ops Tactical Commander daily.

• Refridgerate swabs ready for daily collection by Citylink

Admissions Team

• Previous days clinic list to be collected from A&E office once a day by Admissions team, requisition forms to be delivered to Microbiology

• Clinic list to be taken back to Admissions office and patients to be checked in (ensuring the date they attended is entered) and out (or marked as DNA) and specimen marked as collected on e-care as appropriate

CityLink & Eurofins

• Citylink collect swabs and deliver them to Eurofins Lab

• Eurofins process swabs and report results via an email to [email protected]

Swab Nursing Team

• Recieves results and updates Results Master spreadsheet in Surgical Division Covid 19 staff swab test folder on O drive

• Forwards all results to Microbiology

• Filter staff results and send to Governance, HR and Occupational Health

• .Contacts all patients to inform them of their result.

• Sends email to Line Manager to inform them of each result

Microbiology

• Receives requisition form with relevant swab sticker

• Adds results on to Winpath


Appendix B

Swabbing Request Form

Request for Covid19 Swab testing

Please find below a COVID 19 swabbing request form. Swabs can be requested by any member of staff that works for the NHS. This includes: West Suffolk NHS Foundation and Community Trusts, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust and GP Practices.

Members of staff who are isolating due to a household member showing COVID 19 symptoms can also request for that person to be swabbed. Please note that making a request does not guarantee you will be tested.

There is a prioritisation process in place and it is based on the member of staff’s role, the length of time they will be away if no test is conducted and the number of tests we are able to do in any one day.

At present we are not able to contact all those who will not receive a test but hope in the near future to be able to let them know of this by email.

If your request is granted, you will be contacted by phone and given an appointment and further details about your test. Staff members MUST bring their NHS ID badge (or other proof that they work for the NHS if they do not have their badge) when they come for testing.

Where a household member is being tested, they must be accompanied by a staff member who will be required to show their NHS ID badge. If you do not hear from us, please DO NOT turn up to the hospital expecting a test, we are unable to test you if you do so.

All tests will be carried out at West Suffolk Hospital, and it is best to attend in your car. There are some facilities for those attending on foot. The results of this test will be phoned through to you and then emailed to your line manager. If you work at the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Occupational Health and the HR Department will also be sent the result of your test.


The below information is required to submit a swab request:

Are you requesting a swab for yourself or someone you live with?

Self Someone I live with

Details of person requiring swab:

First Name

Last Name

Date of birth

NHS Number (if known)

Details of staff member requesting swab:

First Name

Last Name

Date of birth

Contact Number

Email address

Job title

Department (WSFT only)

Permanent or Bank Staff

Select the organisation you work for:

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Ambulance Service CCG GP Practice (please state) Other (please state)

…………………………………………………………

Line Manager’s Name

Line Manager’s email address

Is your Line Manager aware you are isolating? Yes / No

Does your Line Manager know you have requested a test?

Yes / No

Do you have symptoms yourself? Yes / No

Does a member of your household have symptoms?

Yes / No

How long have those symptoms been showing?


APPENDIX C

SCRIPT FOR TAC FOR BOOKING COVID 19 SWAB STAFF / HOUSEHOLD MEMBER

We have been asked to contact you today as you’ve been self-isolating due to suspected CoVid-19 within your household. We would like to book you / your family member to come and have a swab taken. It should take a maximum of 5 days for your results to come back.

Take down Name, DOB and NHS number if known of INDEX CASE (This is the person showing symptoms, not necessarily the staff member themselves). Check if staff / household member is registered. If not you will need to register them.

We will contact you with the results of your swab when they are available

Instructions for staff / household members who are attending by car

Two allocated bays next to the Coronavirus Pods which are located next to the AAU Ambulance entrance

Please park up and wait

Staff / household members who are attending on foot

Should attend Coronavirus POD 3, located next to the AAU Ambulance entrance and wait

TAC to add a speech bubble to the clinic slot to let A&E know that this staff / household member will attend on foot.

TAC to use following entries when creating the encounter:

Waiting List Encounter – Outpatient Waiting list

TAC – Please ensure you add a slot comment stating if the person is WSFT Staff Member,

WSFT Household Member etc as this needs to be reported


APPENDIX D – Eurofins Clinical Information Form


APPENDIX E - SCRIPT FOR RESULTS TEAM

SCRIPT FOR PROVIDING NEGATIVE RESULTS Thank you for attending for a swab test on the ………………….. The result of the test is negative. Your line manager will be informed of this result; it is your responsibility to make contact with them to discuss any proposed plans to return to work. If you share a household with a member of staff who is self-isolating, please inform them of your result so that they can make contact with their line manager to discuss plans to return to work. If you received a negative result you can return to work immediately, but only if you are well enough. If a household member’s test comes back negative key workers can return to work, but should self-isolate straight away if they develop symptoms.


SCRIPT FOR POSITIVE RESULTS APPENDIX F -

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