The Homeless Health Operations Centre is staffed by the Healthy London Partnership, supporting the London COVID-19 Homeless Health Response Cell, as a multi-agency approach to managing the health needs and minimising the transmission of COVID-19 within the homeless population in London. This is set out in our operating manual.
We have brought together a range of information and guidance which we hope are helpful to partners and providers. These have been created quickly from various sources and we have endeavoured to credit information wherever possible.
General guidance
NHS England and Improvement COVID-19 Clinical homeless sector plan: triage – assess – cohort – care
NHS England and Improvement COVID-19 Homeless Health staffing approaches and Homeless Health oversight implementation
NHS England Mental Health and Primary Care guidance
Latest Public Health England guidance.
Doctors of the World COVID-19 latest NHS guidelines translated into 60 languages
Guidance for commissioners
Ideal staffing and equipment specifications for COVID facilities
Site operational commissioning checklist for COVID CARE facility
Site operational commissioning checklist for COVID PROTECT facility
Information for hotels
Hotel Frequently Asked Questions and guidance on adapting facilities and procedures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Department of Health & Social Care signed Control of Patient Information (COPI) notice
Communication processes for COVID Hotels and Hostels
Health model for care in COVID-PROTECT sites
COVID symptoms notice for hotels. To be edited with local details, printed out and put under everyone’s door when they come in
Homeless Hotel poster (this can also be used in hostels)
Useful contacts poster for hotel site staff
FAQs on PPE and cleaning for GLA-funded COVID-19 response hotels
Homeless Health COVID-19 waste disposal pathway
Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings
Transfer form for people accepted into COVID CARE from hotel or hostel
Managing Covid hotels interview: Sam Dorney Smith, Senior Nursing Fellow at Pathway, has shared her valuable insight to meeting this challenge with us. Watch the video to learn about the process of setting them up, the challenges and guidance for other sites (YouTube).
Information for hostels
Hostel Frequently Asked Questions and guidance on adapting facilities and procedures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Department of Health & Social Care signed Control of Patient Information (COPI) notice
Communication processes for COVID Hotels and Hostels
Quick PPE reference guide for those working in hostels
Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings
Transfer form for people accepted into COVID CARE from hotel or hostel
Webinar – ‘Supporting homeless hostels in responding to COVID-19’ (29 April 2020, presenters from UCL/Pathway, PHE, GLA, Look Ahead) – watch again here and find the full slide pack here.
Referrals for testing and COVID CARE
If you are referring from an Outreach Team please contact the COVID CARE team directly, see here for futher information
Guidance on referral into COVID CARE for non-clinical settings.
Hostels should complete the UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health symptom surveillance survey here Baseline survey – link and sign up to daily reporting Daily survey – link and short linked referral form which will alert the COVID Care team should you have any new symptomatic cases and they will make contact.
Hotels should complete the referral form available here COVID CARE referral form
Hospital discharge
Management of Homeless Patients on discharge from hospital; pathway, process map and referral form for hospital discharge
Management of Homeless patients on discharge from the emergency department process
Please refer any homeless clients who attends a site directly to StreetLink London or contact your local Homeless Outreach team.
Information for primary and community care
Primary Care Standards COVID-19 Homeless Health
Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient and community care by setting, NHS and independent sector. Need to wear face and eye protection to see symptomatic patients (would include visors) and surgical masks when seeing asymptomatic ‘extremely vulnerable’ patients (COVID PROTECT).
Guidance for putting on and removal of PPE
British Medical Journal visual summary for COVID-19 remote consultations. A quick guide to assessing patients by video or voice calls
Hierarchy of Vulnerabilities and risk factors for COVID-19 for ARC
Barnet CCG Primary Care Guide during COVID-19 flowchart
NHS England National Early Warning Scores (NEWS)
Community testing for suspected COVID-19
Primary Care and Community Respiratory Resource pack for use during COVID-19
Pragmatic guidance from the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS), for the routine and crisis management of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the COVID-19 epidemic. Nebulisers should, where possible, be avoided for acute attacks due to the increased risk of disseminating COVID-19 (to other patients AND to physicians, nurses and other personnel)
COVID-19 Homeless urgent dental pathway
Process for getting primary care advice template for hotels
Drug and alcohol guidance
PHE and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) COVID-19 guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol
Launch of Homeless Hotels Drug and Alcohol Support Service (HDAS London) and additional resources; smoking and COVID-19 guide for residents and smoking cessation product user guides for residents including JUUL e-cigarette, Vype ePen, nicotine mouth spray and pouch and Voke nicotine inhalator
Protocol for the management of alcohol withdrawal in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19
Protocol for the management of nicotine withdrawal in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19
Protocol for the management of opioid dependance in temporary homeless hotels during COVID-19
Harm reduction strategies for alcohol dependence
HDAS London Alcohol workbook (Polish translation)
Link to training video for tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes (HDAS London)
Additional resources and poster on substance misuse (article on supervised consumption during COVID-19 and information on naloxone including when and how to administer Prenoxad Injection)
Mental health guidance
If staff and clients are unsure where to get crisis guidance from, they are advised to call 111 and ask for the local mental health crisis line
Monitoring mental health clients one pager
Safety Plan form for clients with suicidal ideation
Self-harm alternative coping strategies
Getting Help in a Mental Health Crisis (Westminster example)
Palliative and End of life care
A collated list of National, Regional and North West London local good practice resources for community practitioners to use to support anticipatory care planning and palliative care during COVID-19 crisis
Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home
Planning for your future care – a guide
Pandemic palliative care: beyond ventilators and saving lives
Homelessness and palliative care
Google drive link to guidance related to COVID19, homelessness and palliative care (open access)
Symptom control guidance for the last days of life during the COVID-19 pandemic (summary)
Contact
For more information contact the team at hlp.homelesshealthcovid19team@nhs.net
