As we head into the Winter months, we need to prepare for an increase in symptomatic patients presenting with COVID-19, Influenza, and other respiratory viruses.
With this in mind, we have revised our current admission processes to allow our clinical teams to safely treat symptomatic patients and move them from our emergency departments to our wards.
Going forward, symptomatic patients that require admission but have returned a negative RAT and a negative PCR test will:
- Be managed in a negative flow room (NFR) or if NFR not available in a single room
- If a single room is not available, the patient should be managed in a shared room with HEPA filters and droplet precautions (PPE, curtain drawn, own toilet).
- Receive a repeat PCR test on the ward if clinically indicated.
The updated process is available to download and outlined in the diagram below.
Approved by Professor Rhonda Stuart.