Arriving home safely

Live with other people?

We’ve borrowed these top tips, shared from other NHS trusts, to help you stay safe when you get home after a shift and to protect others in your household.

Before leaving work: shower if possible and change out of work clothes.

Arriving home: wipe steering wheel, controls and door handles.

At the front door: pause, breathe, reset. Take your time.

Knock on the door: open from inside - step in.

Shout hello to your loved ones. No cuddles yet!

Plastic box at the door: doff work/commute shoes, outer clothes, coat, bag. Wipe down keys, pens and glasses with damp, soapy cloth.

Phone (kept at work in a clear zip-lock bag): empty out of bag into box; wipe phone clean; throw bag away.

Work bag (machine washable): keep in locker at work and box by front door at home.

Walk straight to the sink/shower: don’t touch doors - get someone else to open them for you; wash or shower, especially hands, arms and face, with soap and hot water.

You are clean. Relax. Enjoy some downtime. Be safe.

Download our handy poster for display in your department, ward, or even at home!

Change to covid-19 swabbing for staff and family

Since the start of the pandemic, the NHS has built a significant testing operation that includes walk-in and drive through test sites and at home testing. It has also invested in large-scale laboratories that can process and analyse swabs at scale and speed.

As a result, from November 1 we are making some changes to our approach to in-house PCR testing.We will no longer routinely offer Covid-19 PCR tests for staff or their families with suspected symptoms, or who have been identified as potential contacts of someone with Covid away from work. Instead, staff should use their nearest NHS testing centre - you can book online or by calling 119.

We will no longer operate the current testing pods near the Emergency Department at West Suffolk Hospital. We will continue to swab and test patients, and we will also offer PCR tests to staff in the event of a suspected outbreak at work. These changes will help us focus on patient testing to help with capacity across our services, and will often mean faster turnaround for staff results by taking advantage of national laboratory capacity. Staff will also be able to more easily register their results in the NHS Covid App.