A couple of weeks ago a story popped up about an investigation into patients being discharged to care homes in Portsmouth without having had Covid-19 tests.
With the rising number of positive tests on the Isle of Wight, News OnTheWight got in touch with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust to find out what the procedure was on the Island – whether it had changed from the practice taking place in the height of the Coronavirus crisis.
Seeking reassurance
With a view to providing reassurance to readers about the testing of patients before they are discharged to care or nursing homes on the Isle of Wight, News OnTheWight has learnt that Isle of Wight NHS Trust are,
“Following national NHS guidance to test people before discharge to care homes.”
No news on when tests carried out
It was comforting to get the reassurance, but it’s unclear when that testing takes place.
It took the NHS Trust over two weeks to come back to us with an answer, but when they did a spokesperson Isle of Wight NHS Trust told News OnTheWight,
“The health and safety of our patients is paramount and we test all patients being discharged from St. Mary’s Hospital to a care home, regardless of whether the patient was a resident of a care home previously or not.
“To ensure testing does not delay the patient leaving hospital, testing will be carried out in a timely manner, planned up to 48 hours before the scheduled discharge time. Our teams work with care homes and the local authority to ensure UK Government and NHS England policies are adhered when patients leave hospital to a care setting.
“You can read more about this national policy here: Hospital discharge service: policy and operating model.”
National Guidelines
For further reassurance, the national guidelines for discharge to care home settings read:
4.8 DHSC and PHE policy is that people being discharged from hospital to care homes are tested for COVID-19 in a timely manner ahead of being discharged (as set out in the coronavirus: adult social care action plan), regardless of whether they were residents of the care home previously or not.
Where a test result is still awaited, the person will be discharged if the care home states that it is able to safely isolate the patient as outlined in admission and care of people in care homes guidance.
If this is not possible then alternative accommodation and care for the remainder of the required isolation period needs to be provided by the local authority, funded by the discharge funding
In the adult social care action plan it states:
1.33 For people discharged asymptomatic into a care home – these individuals will have been tested prior to admission (as per paragraph 1.30).
Where these tests are negative, we still recommend isolation for 14 days.
This will normally be in a care home that is able to meet that requirement, or it could be under alternative local authority made arrangements assisted by appropriate NHS primary and community-based care. The NHS Discharge Requirements will continue to apply.
Article edit
2.20pm 12th Oct 2020 – First para of national guidelines amended to later update
7.30am 16th Oct 2020 – Response from NHS added
Image: governortomwolf under CC BY 2.0
