Six NHS employees contract with Covid after sharing the car without wearing masks | the society

six NHS Hospital employees were sent home after contracting Covid-19 when they violated government rules by not wearing a mask when sharing elevators to and from work.

The university asked the six not to enter their work Hospitals From the North Midlands Trust, which already has to provide services with its nearly 600 employees out of work due to illness.

Employees at the Trust, which operates Royal Stoke and Stafford County Hospitals, were told of the incident in an email last week from Dr. John Oxtoby, the fund’s medical director. The Trust refused to specify the roles the six play in one of the largest NHS organizations, or in which hospital they work.

Their actions are a clear breach As directed by the government On measures that passengers should take to ensure they do not spread or be exposed to the Coronavirus if they are traveling with people who are not at home or the support bubble.

It stipulates that passengers should “require the driver and passengers to wear a face cover” in addition to opening windows to ensure ventilation and cleaning vehicles between flights and sharing the car with the same people on every trip.

In his October 28 e-mail to employees, Oxtoby said: “It is imperative that all employees who share cars wear a mask for the complete journey to and from work.

This week we had to send six employees home because they weren’t wearing masks and were now showing symptoms of Covid-19.

He also reminded employees to always wear a mask in clinical areas where it is advised, even if the patient tested negative and the trust fund refused to say whether any employee had recently violated this rule.

On Tuesday of this week, 987 of the fund’s 11,500 employees fell ill, of whom 583 either had Covid-19 or were isolated because one of their family members was showing symptoms. Those 583 represented a sharp increase from the 421 employees who were sick with Covid-19 when Oxtoby sent his email on October 28 – a 39% increase in just six days.

When asked about the behavior of the six employees, Oxtoby said that the trust staff, like everyone in the NHS, have been working hard throughout the pandemic. But he added, “It is clear that we all have a responsibility to monitor national guidance and our staff is regularly updated with the latest advice as it becomes available.

“Wearing a face mask and eye protection along with hand washing and social distancing are all important measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in our hospitals and keep our patients and our communities safe.”

Lindsay Meeks, Regional Director of the West Midlands of the Royal College of Nursing, said: ‘Although there is no indication that this incident involved any of our members, we are urging all nursing staff to adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions in place in their area, and any guidelines they have set. The employer.Not only will this help keep them safe, but it will also help reduce the risks to their colleagues and patients. ”

Last month, police warned employees of the Royal Surrey NHS Trust about their behavior After two doctors tested positive Corona Virus After attending a social event along with 20 colleagues.

In July, The Guardian revealed how London’s Hillingdon Hospital nurses had failed to wear masks at a training session. Transfer the virus to colleaguesAs a result, the hospital had to temporarily restrict emergency admission.

About a week later, the Guardian reported how Sarah Tedford, the hospital’s chief executive at the time – who harshly criticized the nurses in an email to the staff – She has been photographed wearing no maskIn front of a sign reminding individuals to wear one. I left confidence after a month.