Earlier this month, we touched upon the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus and how to prevent and deal with the COVID-19 disease. Today, SureCare would like to make a further announcement to all our service users and staff across the UK.

With COVID-19 developing in so many countries around the world, SureCare is deeply committed to adhering to the strictest of World Health Organisation advice, as well as the protocols advised by UK Government and local authorities.

The health and well-being of our clients and staff are our absolute priority. SureCare maintains stringent healthcare procedures, with specific policies relating to hygiene standards and infection control.

We would like to reassure all service users and their family members that our teams are fully aware of the requirements involved and the implementation and following of our healthcare policies are of paramount importance.

All SureCare employees are undertaking extreme levels of caution in our daily practices to ensure that the highest possible hygiene standards are maintained at all times.

As an additional measure, SureCare has implemented a policy in recent weeks that any member of staff returning from affected areas abroad – or those who have been in contact with friends or family members returning from those affected areas – have automatically been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. This will also remain to be the case for the weeks ahead, until such a time as we deem necessary.

On Thursday 12th March, the UK Government announced the latest measures to prevent and delay the spread of the coronavirus in our communities. SureCare is fully committed to following these measures and we are taking further cautionary steps where possible. This includes maintaining our rigorous hygiene protocols and wearing protective clothing like medical gloves, etc.

To assist us in our services, we are also requesting that our clients follow the same advice as announced by the Government and local authorities. This includes informing us if you have recently had contact with family or friends returning from overseas, or if you are likely to be in close contact in the near future. This way, we can assess your situation and look at how we can best manage our approach to cases on an individual basis.

It will also be highly helpful to inform us if you develop the following symptoms:

• a new, persistent cough
• difficulty in breathing
• a fever or sudden high temperature (above 38°C)
• early signs of a typical cold or flu

We also advise clients, their families and visitors to follow prominent hygiene advice to prevent the spread of the virus and risk of infection. Public Health England makes the following recommendations:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of used tissues straight away. (Catch it, Bin it, Kill it.)
• If tissues are unavailable when you need to cough or sneeze, use your sleeve, not your hands.
• Regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water or hand sanitiser.
• Try to avoid close contact with others, particularly if they are unwell or have been to an affected area recently. ‘Close contact’ is considered to be 2 metres or less.
• Regularly clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces or objects.
• Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.

Sticking to these hygiene protocols will not only help to keep you safe, but will also allow our care workers to continue providing effective care for you and other service users in a safe and controlled manner.

For further information on what you can do to protect yourself, or if you feel you need to seek medical advice, the UK Government has a COVID-19 information portal on its website available here.
 

If you have any further questions or concerns about coronavirus or SureCare’s services, please contact your local provider. Details are available from our Find a Branch page.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your understanding and ongoing support in these unprecedented circumstances.