Elderly and vulnerable people still at risk from poor advice from some care homes, says UNISON

Some care companies are still failing to give staff accurate guidance on using personal protective equipment (PPE) – creating serious dangers for workers, care home residents and the elderly living in their own homes, says UNISON today (Monday). Concerned care staff working in residential homes are telling the union they’re being denied access to vital kit because it’s locked away, or their employers say they don’t need it because no-one has Covid-19 symptoms. But UNISON says this is in clear breach of Public Health England (PHE) guidance. The latest PHE guidance for care homes states that staff should wear face masks when providing personal care “which requires them to be in direct contact with the residents or within 2 metres of a resident who is coughing”. But UNISON says these national guidelines are not sufficiently clear nor comprehensive enough. As a result, workers up and down the country are being told incorrectly by unscrupulous employers that safety clothing such as masks aren’t necessary. Many workers have told UNISON their employers are still not issuing them with any, or enough, vital PPE such as masks, gloves, aprons and gowns. Some care home employers are informing staff that PPE is not to be used until there are confirmed cases of Covid-19 in their workplace, which means they are carrying out close personal care without any protection, says UNISON. Other staff say supply shortages mean they have to wear masks all day, including goin...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release care workers Christina McAnea coronavirus PPE Source Type: news