Care Home D/V Outbreak

Outbreak Co-ordinator’s Name and Designation:
Date and Time:
Name of Community Hospital and Ward
Date of Onset:
Number of patients affected out of total beds occupied:
Staff affected:
Affected staff work area: / Nursing Domestic Porters Catering
Layout – number of wards/bays/ affected:
Number of community hospital admissions as result of ILI:

Actions:

Ensure all staff on ward and hospital are informed / GPs and GP Practices informed
Inform adjacent team/ward of symptoms/ outbreak / Visiting healthcare professionals informed
Domestic team/staff informed / Agency staff/Agencies informed
IPC Team informed / Inform volunteers/Sit and See
Hospital Manager informed: / Outbreak monitoring form on yellow clipboard
Ward Co-ordinator informed

Assessment for ILI: ( as appropriate)

Symptoms: / Pyrexia Cough Malaise Aching
Recent admissions (include from an affected area):
Specimens – to be at the lab for 11am
Path lab informed: / Date:
Monitoring form for Patients: / Date:
Outbreak monitoring form for staff: / Date:
Advise staff of availability of flu vaccine / Date:

Immediate Actions

Outbreak Control:
Isolate / Cohort: Doors to be closed, isolate for 5/7 days following onset of symptoms
Checklist: Complete Isolation checklists and email to
Allocate: Staff to be allocated to affected and non-affected areas
Consider: if there is a vacant bed, who last occupied it? Where are they now? Are they likely to be infected/exposed and need treatment/prophylaxis?
Check: have patients received influenza vaccination?
Check: have staff received influenza vaccination?
Exclude: Symptomatic staff to be advised to see GP
Hydration: Encourage fluids in symptomatic patients and start fluid chart
Cleaning: Tristel Fusion/Jet, increase frequency
Hand washing: At point of care with water and liquid soap
PPE/Linen/Waste: To be available at point of care (gloves/aprons/masks/alginate bags/waste bags)
Toilet facilities: En-suite, designated toilet (if en-suite available) or designatedcommode
Macerator: Daily checks, functioning and clean
Patient Equipment: Designate to symptomatic patients – commodes/bedpans/hoist slings/glide sheets/ BP cuffs/stethoscopes
Patient Lockers: Remove fruit and fruit bowls, open packets of food, change water jugs twice daily ensure lids are used.
Kitchen: Wash all patient and staff crockery in dishwashers during outbreak.
Volunteers: To be informed not to visit and/or visit affected areas last
Visitors: To be advised to wear PPE including facemask if visiting infected bays and undertaking close personal care. Visitors to be advised not to sit on the bed
Ensure: that any visitors chairs taken into the isolation room are cleaned before removal
Ongoing Actions:
Status: Bays/Rooms - Closed Bays/Rooms - Open
Staff: Increase staffing ratios for workload of symptomatic patients and terminal cleans
SignpostStaff: to Outbreak Pack and IPC information page on SCHT website
Inform:GP/visiting health care professionals including agency/bank staff/therapy and volunteers
Inform staff: of out of hours contact details and information
Ensure: one person co-ordinates the outbreak and is the nominated point of contact
Alert: Visitors by way of a notice and information leaflets including signage on bay doors and ward entrance
Remind: Staff that patients need to be free of symptoms before being transferred or attend outpatient appointments (N/A in an emergency – although patient should wear a facemask if they need to attend and visiting department should be informed).
Staff need to be 5/7 days following onset of symptoms before returning to work.
Monitor: All patients and staff for signs and symptoms
Audit: Self-audit tools to be sent to IPC Team. Isolation checklist to be undertaken weekly during the duration of the outbreak for each isolated Room or Bay
Signpost:SCHT Policies Outbreak Management,
InfluenzaPolicy,
Isolation Policy
Signpost leaflets:

• Influenza like illness
• Isolation
• Patient’s Hand Hygiene
• Visitors
• Agency
• Staff
• Volunteers

Post Outbreak:
Date Declared Over:
Terminal Clean:Undertake post 48 - 72hrs depending on situation
Total Affected: Patients: Staff:

IPC Team

April 2017