Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to mitigate the impact of staff absences in NHS hospitals in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne Central, (b) North East region and (c) England.

On 19 July we published national guidance that applies to all National Health Service hospitals, including those in Newcastle upon Tyne Central and the North East region. If there is a risk that staff absence would lead to potential patient harm then staff who are fully vaccinated, 14 days after their second dose, may be brought back to work ahead of the self-isolation period, following a local risk assessment.

The following safeguards should be implemented; an immediate negative polymerase chain reaction test prior to returning to work; provision of subsequent negative daily lateral flow device tests for a minimum of seven days with test results reported to both Test and Trace and their line management; appropriate use of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, including social distancing in the workplace when not undertaking clinical work; and the use of personal protective equipment in line with current IPC guidance.

These guidelines give employers the ‘right to allow’ not to ‘compel’ staff to return to work. Where staff can work from home or care can be delivered online or by phone this should continue to be the preferred option.