The UK may move towards the Delay phase of Coronavirus plan however nothing has been announced yet. 

Current Infection Control advice issued:

• Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water or use a sanitiser gel

• Use a tissue for coughs and sneezes

• If you don't have a tissue use your sleeve

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands

• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell

What are the symptoms? 

• Fever and tiredness

• Cough

• Breathing difficulties

• Muscle pain

What should I do if I feel unwell?

• Ring 111 if you are in the UK

• Inform the office on 020 3006 2802 so we are aware and can make plans to help you and your client

• Do NOT go to a GP surgery, Pharmacy or Hospital

Contain, Delay, Research, Mitigate

The overall phases of the plan to respond to COVID-19 are:

• Contain: detect early cases, follow up close contacts, and prevent the disease taking hold in this country for as long as is reasonably possible

• Delay: slow the spread in this country, if it does take hold, lowering the peak impact and pushing it away from the winter season

• Research: better understand the virus and the actions that will lessen its effect on the UK population; innovate responses including diagnostics, drugs and vaccines; use the evidence to inform the development of the most effective models of care

• Mitigate: provide the best care possible for people who become ill, support hospitals to maintain essential services and ensure ongoing support for people ill in the community to minimise the overall impact of the disease on society, public services and on the economy

Information about the virus

A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. The NHS website has more information about how coronavirus is spread and answers common questions about the virus.

Advice for travellers

British people travelling and living overseas following the outbreak of novel coronavirus should check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice.

The importance of continuity and trust between carer and client cannot be underestimated.

As we are all aware, there is a Health and Social care crisis in the UK. Sadly, rather than making steps to improve the funding gap and vast numbers of vacancies, the newly announced points-based system post-brexit sets the scene for the current crisis to worsen.

Live-in care or care work itself is not as highly valued in society as it should be. Caring is a vocation which requires a special type of person with the unique skill set to build the trust needed and provide the care support required

Under the points-based system, all migrants including EU citizens will require permission in advance to come to the UK to work which will be assessed according to the points-based system. At present, Health and Social Care is not included in the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) shortage occupation list for ‘Skilled workers’.

Carers are extremely highly trained and skilled and look after clients who are incredibly vulnerable and in need.

Some clients have had life-changing injuries and are paralysed, requiring highly-skilled care from their carers. Some have complex and advanced Dementia and require support for every aspect of their lives from their carers

To provide this level of care, our carers have to be experienced, trained and assessed and it is incomprehensible that this level of care work is not deemed as ‘skilled’. Some of our carers are Nurses in their own country, but it costs so much for them to transfer their qualification in the UK that live-in care work is more suited to them and their families and ultimately our clients.

Our clients are reliant on their team of carers who know their needs and are trained to manage their health requirements. In addition the nature of care work is often intimate and clients must build trust in their carers to feel safe in their homes.

Changing of carers is completely life-changing to clients, it doesn’t matter if it’s one carer or several, they rely on that person and have developed a really strong relationship with them.

Our staff make a valuable contribution to our client's lives and the importance of continuity and trust between carer and client cannot be underestimated

According to the the points-based immigration system, EU carers will no longer be able to come to the UK to work freely after the 31st December 2020. This change is highly likely to result in worsening care staff shortages and may mean some of our care staff will have to go back to the EU unless they have settled or pre-settled status granted. Ultimately some of our clients may need to be informed that we will need to start planning to introduce new carers to them as they will lose their highly skilled and trusted carers.

“Paragon Home Healthcare does not think this is in our clients’, our staff or the wider Health and Social Care sector’s interest and and will be petitioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to include Health and Social Care in the 'shortage occupation list”

In the meantime, we would encourage all EU carers who can to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme to do so as this allows unrestricted rights to work. EU citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020 are eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme and will have until 30 June 2021 to make an application. 

To apply for the EU Settlement Scheme proof of the following is required:

• your identity

• your residence in the UK - to be eligible for settled status, you usually need to have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 6 months in any 12 month period for 5 years in a row. If you’ve not lived here for 5 years in a row you may still be eligible for pre-settled status.

The link to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme is: here or use these links to download the EU Exit Document ID check app for your phone to start the process: 

• I Phone

• Android

Read more: The UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement

Paragon Home Healthcare is committed to shedding light on this matter in the interests of anyone who may be affected by this and the Health and Social Care Sector.