Trusts concerned about levels of staff isolation

Chris Hopson has expressed concern about levels of NHS staff isolation and how it is now significantly impacting trusts’ ability to deliver care.

Speaking to Times Radio on the potential plans to make vaccinated NHS staff exempt from self-isolating if they're traced as a close contact, the chief executive of NHS Providers said that having large numbers of staff off work, if unnecessary, is a major concern for trust leaders..

According to Hopson, one trust current has 500 staff a day absent from work due to coronavirus, with the vast majority of these being due to self-isolation.

The staff absence increase is alongside efforts to recover care backlogs, grapple with record levels of demand for emergency care and increasing levels of coronavirus hospitalisations.

NHS Providers also pointed to rising infection rates, with the Health Secretary predicting 100,000 cases a day. This, according to Hopsin, will mean the number of staff having to self-isolate will continue to rise if current procedures are kept in place. Trusts are also expecting a very stretched holiday and leave period this summer, with high numbers of staff rightly taking annual leave that was delayed due to pandemic pressures early this, and late, last year.

Hopson said that one trust is predicting that its overall absence rates are potentially going to reach 20 per cent in three weeks' time, which means they would have to cancel up to 900 operations.

He said: “Having spoken to trust leaders, we concluded that, given the current severe impact on service delivery, it is right for the government to review their current proposed approach on self-isolation as it affects NHS staff. We are pleased that they are listening carefully to these concerns.

"It's important to remember that nearly all NHS staff have been vaccinated and that they were amongst the first groups to receive vaccinations. There are therefore various options available here. One is to bring forward, for NHS staff, the date already announced for 'no self-isolation for those who have been double jabbed and have a negative PCR test' policy due to start on 16 August. Another option would be to exempt NHS staff from self-isolation completely in return for more frequent staff testing.

"Whatever happens, we need urgent decisions here, given the rapidly growing pressures on trusts."