What happens whilst we remain in Tier 4 or national lockdown if I am clinically extremely vulnerable?
I consider myself at risk due to a long-term health condition, but haven't received a letter or email. Can I still come to work if infection rates are rising?
Do I need an Individual COVID Risk Assessment?
Individual Risk Assessment is an absolute priority.
Managers must check if their staff are in a vulnerable group and complete the Individual Risk Assessment Form, for any vulnerable staff member.
These include:
HR has developed an online form to identify who needs to do an Individual Risk Assessment. You should be able to complete this online, including on a mobile device. This is not the Individual Risk Assessment form.
You do not need to repeat your risk assessment if you have already had one, but you can record the date of your assessment on this form, which will help our monitoring so that we know our vulnerable staff are being supported.
For staff who are not in a vulnerable group, there is no need for Occupational Health to be involved. A record of the conversation with the manager can simply be made - the new online form can be used for this.
Your local HR Team can provide you with general advice about risk assessments and should be your first port of call.
I'm a member of staff and I'm pregnant. What should I do?
In light of high rates of COVID-19 in our patient population, we advise that:
- all pregnant women who can work from home should do so;
- pregnant women over 28 weeks' gestation or with significant health risks at any trimester (as advised by their antenatal team) should work from home;
- pregnant women under 28 weeks' gestation who wish to attend work must complete the Individual Risk Assessment Form with their manager and implement all practicable controls to reduce their risk. They should not work with known or suspected COVID-19 patients, and should avoid acute patient care wherever practicable to do so;
- pregnant women over 35 years old, of BAME ethnicity, or with a BMI over 30 are considered at higher risk and are advised to avoid patient-facing roles, and should work from home wherever practicable to do so.
This guidance is precautionary. Any pregnant employee who is concerned about how this guidance affects them can contact the Occupational Health team for more advice.
More information is available on the Occupational Health intranet.
I am member of staff and I have diabetes. What should I do?
What are the arrangements for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff?
People from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 - and the Government has launched an enquiry as to why this is the case.
We want to ensure that all BAME staff working at OUH feel safe and supported, and we have taken a proactive approach rather than waiting for conclusive research or national guidance. For this reason, we are now including all BAME staff in the 'vulnerable and at risk' group with regards to COVID-19.
This means we expect all managers of BAME staff to have conversations with their staff to discuss any concerns they have, and to complete a risk assessment. Occupational Health has produced specific guidance for managers called 'Protecting our BAME colleagues' and has updated the 'Guidance for Managers COVID-19 health risk assessment' form to support these conversations.
Both of these documents are available in the Vulnerable Staff Advice section of the Occupational Health intranet, or can be emailed on request.
Our diverse workforce is one of our greatest strengths. We recognise our BAME staff may be feeling particularly anxious at this time, and we hope this makes a real difference.