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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Brief
04 Mar 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Special Brief – 2 April 2020

Thursday 2 April

This week we have held two subject-specific VODG member keeping in touch calls with industry experts. On Wednesday with focused on PPE supplies with Marr Procurement and today we discussed the government's job retention scheme with colleagues from Trowers & Hamlins LLP.
Thank you to everyone who joined the calls and contributed. Both sessions provided helpful insights into the issues and we will be taking steps to make representations and will update you on this activity in the coming days. Please also watch this space for details of another meeting, as requested by members, focusing on the detail of the job retention scheme. In the meantime, please do use the COVID-19 Response Hubs to discuss concerns as well as potential solutions and as ever, please email [email protected] to get in touch directly with the VODG team about Coronavirus (COVID-19) matters.
Funding of services is, of course, surfacing and we will be addressing this across the online hubs and in future 'zoom' meetings.
Erika Murigi | Head of Communications and Public Affairs 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): key messages

  • The government has published updated guidance on infection prevention and control including COVID-19. Please see below.
  • DBS has confirmed that special arrangements covers recruiting staff to backfill posts. See para 7.1 in Explanatory Memo here. Interim guidance has also been published by CQC - please see below.
  • All feedback, please email [email protected]

Coronavirus (COVID-19): news

Chief commercial officer letter
Steve Oldfield writes to sector providers about access to PPE.
100,000 tests a day by end of April
10,000 people were tested in the UK on Wednesday.
NHS to benefit from £13.4bn debt write-off
Debt write-off is part of a major financial reset for NHS providers.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

Government guidance on infection prevention and control
Range of guidance relating to infection prevention and control including COVID-19 PPE.
Government guidance on admission and care of people in care homes
How to protect care home residents during the coronavirus outbreak.
CQC interim guidance on DBS and other recruitment checks
For providers recruiting staff and volunteers to health and social care services in response to pandemic.
Social distancing and mental capacity
Rapid Response Guidance Note from 39 Essex Chambers on COVID-19 and the Mental Capacity Act.
Ethical dimensions of COVID-19
Royal College of Physicians alongside 14 organisations has published ethical guidance for frontline staff.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources

COVID-19 and the Mental Capacity Act
Resources on COVID-19 and the MCA 2005, including how it relates to the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Trowers & Hamlins | legal update | Coronavirus: working from home
Measures employers can implement to combat challenges of working from home.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health resources
Resources including leaflets, posters, guides and resource packs. From Public Health England.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): meetings

Readout from Adult Social Care COVID-19 Weekly Forum: infection control in adult social care settings
The session was chaired by Ros Roughton, Director of Adult Social Care at the Department of Health and Social Care, with expert input from Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Includes a full audio recording of the session.
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