Business FAQs

Should I display a NHS QR code in the practice window or maintain a log of people who visit the practice for unplanned appointments?

As a healthcare setting there is no requirement to display a NHS QR code in your practice at present. Most people attending the practice will be registered in the appointment book and will have undergone an initial triage and check for symptoms of COVID-19 for either themselves or their household. In addition you should have effective infection control procedures in place. Where there are unscheduled visits to the practice for browsing, collections or repairs, in our view there is no requirement to keep a list of attendees for short duration visits as long as social distancing is maintained and staff are wearing appropriate PPE.

Updated: 15 July 2021

I have been advised to self-isolate by the Test and Trace / Test and Protect team, but I disagree with their advice. What should I do?

Patients who attend optical practices and who subsequently test positive for COVID-19 are not generally considered contacts for NHS Test and Trace/Test and Protect purposes when the practice has been following IPC procedures and practitioners have been wearing PPE properly when they were in contact with the patient.

Each Test and Trace/Test and Protect call handler is a clinician who will make a clinical judgment about the risk of each person's interaction but may not fully understand the nature of primary eye care and how IPC in our sector operates.

If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace/ Test and Protect call handler, it is essential you explain to them that the contact was within a healthcare setting and to describe the PPE you were using and the IPC procedures you were following.

If you are asked how long you spent with the contact, make sure you let the call handler know BOTH the total duration of the sight test AND how long you were close proximity to the patient. For many contacts, proximity will be a relatively short period of time. (Such as the time at the slit lamp, behind the slit lamp Perspex screen, with the rest of the consultation performed at two meters or more.)

If you believe the call handler has incorrectly assessed the risk of the interaction, you should escalate the decision by requesting a second opinion. This is an accepted part of the internal process at NHS Test and Trace/ Test and Protect and will not cause offence.

If, after the escalation request and further discussion, it is decided you did not have a close contact and can return to work, you can then do so. However, it is a legal requirement to follow the advice of the call handler, including isolation for 14 days, even if you believe this to be an incorrect decision.

If you had to escalate a decision, or believe the advice was incorrect, please contact the College or your representative body so we can collectively collate examples to feedback via the College to the relevant NHS tracing service.

Updated: 15 July 2021

Should I use the NHS Test and Trace or Protect Scotland app on my phone while at work in a healthcare setting?

Do staff who work behind a screen or who are more than 2m from patients have to wear a face covering?

Should I place the poster up on my practice door?

Some of my staff are worried that they are at particular risk from COVID-19. What should I do?

How can I access information to give to patients?

I have been identified as a contact of a COVID-19 case - what should I do?

a. The contact is a patient

If you were wearing the correct PPE appropriately in accordance with the UK IPC guidance and How to work safely guidance, you will not be considered as a contact for the purposes of contact tracing and isolation. This applies regardless of your vaccination status or the circulating variant of COVID-19. A COVID-19 test and self-isolation is not required.

b. The contact is a member of the practice team or another person

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales

If you are notified that you are a contact of a COVID-19 case, you need to complete the required COVID-19 test. If the test result is negative and you are asymptomatic, you can return to work, with daily LFD testing as per your nations’ guidance. The majority of fully vaccinated health and social care staff will be able to continue in their usual role. The following apply when you return to work:

You do not have any COVID-19 symptoms
You should not have any travel related isolation requirements
You should undertake an LFD test every day for the recommended period following your last contact with the case (even on days you are not at work)
If you have had a COVID-19 infection in the past 90 days, you should not have a PCR test and should only undertake daily LFD tests
You should complete the LFD test before starting your shift, and the result should be negative
You should continue to maintain high standards of IPC and comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE should be worn properly throughout the day
You should not provide direct patient care to extremely clinical vulnerable patients during the recommended period.

If any of the above cannot be met, the staff member should not come to work and should follow the stay at home guidance for your nation.

England

If you are notified that you are a contact of a COVID-19 case, you can continue to work as normal provided you are asymptomatic and continue to return negative LFD tests twice weekly. While a negative PCR test is no longer required to return to work, we recommend you undertake and return a negative LFD test before returning to work. You should continue to maintain high standards of IPC and comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE should be worn properly throughout the day.

We also recommend you should not provide direct patient care to extremely clinical vulnerable patients for remaining 10 days following the initial contact.

If you develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, you should follow government guidance.

c. The contact is close member of my household

England
The risk of COVID transmission may be higher for people within your home than a single episode of a COVID-19 close contact in another environment.

If you share a household with a COVID-19 case, you can continue to work as normal provided you are asymptomatic and continue to return negative LFD tests twice weekly. While a negative PCR test is no longer required to return to work, we recommend you undertake and return a negative LFD test before returning to work. You should continue to maintain high standards of IPC and comply with all relevant infection control precautions and PPE should be worn properly throughout the day.

We also recommend you should not provide direct patient care to extremely clinical vulnerable patients for remaining 10 days following the initial contact.

If you develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, you should follow government guidance.

More information: 

Northern Ireland
You need to self-isolate and arrange the required COVID-19 test in line with government guidance. You should notify your employer as soon as possible.

The risk of COVID transmission may be higher for people within your home than a single episode of a COVID-19 close contact in another environment.

More information:

Department of Health Northern Ireland, Fully vaccinated health & social care staff told to self isolate as a close contact may be permitted to attend work in exceptional circumstances

Scotland
You need to self-isolate and arrange the required COVID-19 test in line with government guidance. You should notify your employer as soon as possible.

The risk of COVID transmission may be higher for people within your home than a single episode of a COVID-19 close contact in another environment.

You can continue to work provided you have a negative COVID-19 test, no symptoms, have received the COVID-19 booster jab and return negative LFD test results as set out by Scottish Government. You should follow the return to work criteria set out in section “b.” above.

More information:

COVID-19 guidance (eyes.scot)

Wales
You need to self-isolate and arrange the required COVID-19 test in line with government guidance. You should notify your employer as soon as possible.

The risk of COVID transmission may be higher for people within your home than a single episode of a COVID-19 close contact in another environment.

If your COVID-19 test is negative and you continue to be asymptomatic, you can return to work provided all other contingency measures have been explored based on a risk assessment conducted by an appropriate senior manager within the optical practice. The contractor should make decisions about this process in line with the criteria set out by the Welsh government but must advise the health board about their approach. You should follow the return to work criteria set out in section “b.” above.

More information:

Welsh Government, COVID-19 contacts: guidance for health and social care staff

In England, Northern Ireland and Wales fully vaccinated currently means 14 days after having received two doses of an approved vaccine (such as Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Moderna/Spikevax) or one dose of the single-dose Janssen. We will update members if the UKHSA changes the definition in future to include the booster vaccination.

In Scotland fully vaccinated means 14 days after having received a third booster dose of an approved vaccine.

Updated: 5 April 2022

I have tested positive for COVID-19 - what should I do?

England

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should notify your employer and you must not attend work until you feel well enough to do so and you do not have a high temperature. If you primarily work with people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (as determined by your employer) you must not attend work for at least five days, and only return if you feel well enough to do so and you do not have a high temperature. You should also follow guidance for the general public who have a positive test result.

Local protocols regarding return to work criteria, including redeployment, LFD testing and enhanced use of PPE should be followed where recommended by local health authorities. Your employer should undertake a risk assessment before you return to work, including consideration of redeployment where appropriate.

If you return to work within ten days of symptom onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result) you are strongly advised to wear a face mask and limit close contact with other people in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, work from home if you can do so and minimise your contact with anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission may be higher when returning to work within ten days of symptom onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result), even with a negative LFD test. It is imperative that high standards of IPC are maintained, in communal areas, as well as private staff areas. Clinicians in this situation should not provide direct patient care to anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 during this period.

Managing healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection or a positive COVID-19 test result - GOV.UK

Northern Ireland

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate for up to 10 days. If asymptomatic, you should take a LFD test on day five of your isolation period and another 24 hours later on day six. If both tests are negative and you have no symptoms, you may end your isolation period and return to work. However, you must still complete LFD tests on days six, seven, eight, nine and 10, and ensure they remain negative before starting work each day. If you test positive on day five, then a negative test is required on day six and day seven to release you from isolation.

If you work with people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (as determined by your employer), a risk assessment should be undertaken. You should report your LFD test results to your nation’s government website. 

If you leave self-isolation on or after day six you are strongly advised to wear a face covering and limit close contact with other people in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, work from home if you can do so and minimise your contact with anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 for up to 10 days of symptoms onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result).

The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission may be higher when returning to work on day six, even with a negative LFD test. It is imperative that high standards of IPC are maintained, in communal areas, as well as private staff areas. Clinicians in this situation should not provide direct patient care to anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 for up to 10 days of symptoms onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result).

Lateral flow testing for primary care staff | HSC Public Health Agency

Scotland

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate for up to 10 days. If asymptomatic, you should take an LFD test on day five of your isolation period and another 24 hours later on day six. If both tests are negative and you have no symptoms, you may end your isolation period and return to work. If you test positive on day five, then a negative test is required on day six and day seven to release you from isolation. If you work with people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (as determined by your employer), a risk assessment should be undertaken before you return to work. You should report your LFD test results to your nation’s government website. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): staff testing in NHS Scotland - gov.scot

Wales

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should notify your employer and you must not attend work until you feel well enough to do so and you do not have a high temperature. You should also follow guidance for the general public who have a positive test result.

Your employer should undertake a risk assessment before you return to work, including consideration given to redeployment where appropriate.

If you return to work within 10 days of symptom onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result) you are strongly advised to wear a face mask and limit close contact with other people in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, work from home if you can do so and minimise your contact with anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (as determined by your employer).

The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission may be higher when returning to work within 10 days of symptom onset (or first positive COVID-19 test result), even with a negative LFD test. It is imperative that high standards of IPC are maintained, in communal areas, as well as private staff areas. Clinicians in this situation should not provide direct patient care to anyone who is at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 during this period.

Updated: 6 April 2023