Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

As the national picture with Coronavirus (COVID-19) evolves, our main priority is keeping those in our care, and our staff, as protected and safe as possible.

We are monitoring the situation closely and our response is being led by the Senior Leadership team who hold daily meetings to address any issues and ensure we have clear lines of communication from ward to board.

We are closely following government guidance and their response to the outbreak of COVID-19. They have published Guidance for Health Professionals, which includes information on the assessment and management of suspected cases.

In line with the advice from government and public health bodies, we have prepared an overarching, corporate business continuity plan, specifically in relation to Coronavirus. Our services across the UK also have individual continuity plans for their specific services.

Our priority is to make sure that we can provide safe, sustainable care to our service users and residents. In line with the government’s instruction for everyone to stay home we have restricted all but essential visitors to our sites. We realise this might be difficult but we hope people will understand that our primary concern is keeping everyone safe.

We are finding alternative ways of utilising technology to keep people in touch with their loved ones / friends & family as much as possible. Friends and family should speak to the service manager in the first instance if they have any questions.

We are also following government guidance in terms of allowing people out of their service and into the local community. We understand that these restrictions can have an impact on an individual’s mental health. Wellbeing is a priority and our Occupational Therapy teams are working hard to ensure people have plenty of activities to keep them engaged and active.

We are providing staff with a daily update to ensure everyone is informed and able to access the latest guidance and information. In addition enhanced hygiene, cleaning and infection control processes have been communicated to all our teams.

We are also providing information, reassurance and support to our service users and residents should they have concerns. We have a dedicated email address for staff to use should they have any concerns. Any external queries should be directed to the manager or team at the relevant Cygnet service in the first instance.

The most up to date public advice and information can be found at: gov.uk/coronavirus.

David Wilmott – Director of Nursing

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