St Luke's Hospital - Oxford

All visitors entering St Luke's Hospital are screened for symptoms of acute respiratory infection before being allowed to enter the site. The area of the home which had been designated for COVID-19 positive people was physically separate from the rest of the service, with its own external entrance. On the approach to the area there was prominent signage and instructions explaining what people should do to ensure safety. The service had acquired computers and tablets to support people to maintain social contact with friends and relatives whilst they were isolating in the COVID-19 area of the service.

Staff wore fluid repellent surgical masks, gloves and apron when delivering personal care to all people. People have single occupancy rooms. Adaptions to the building and measures are in place to support staff to social distance during their planned breaks.

The use of PPE was in accordance with current government guidelines. The provider had ensured there were sperate areas for staff to change their PPE, one for the main service and another for the area of the service designated to care for people with COVID-19. There were ample supplies of hand sanitiser and PPE in both areas of the service.

The provider was putting in place appropriate signage to mark out separate areas of the COVID-19 positive area to ensure staff and people could reside there safely, which is in line with other practices within the service. The provider had put plans in placed to ensure that laundry from people with COVID-19 would be washed and laundered by an external agency to reduce the risk of cross contamination in the service's own laundry facilities.

Staff had received training from the external health professionals in the correct use of PPE. The provider had assessed the impact on staff and how working in the COVID positive area of the home may cause fear and anxiety.

We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines as a designated care setting.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found