Posters
Public Health England (PHE) has published a set of posters to download and display in your pharmacy to direct patients who think they could be infected with coronavirus (COVID-19). The posters should be visible to people seeking to enter the pharmacy.
Current UK Situation
As of 26 February 2020, a total of 7,132 people in the UK have been tested, of which 7,119 were confirmed negative and 13 were confirmed positive. Click here for the most up to date information on the situation in UK
- For members in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and for further resources please scroll to the bottom of the page.
NPA Advice to all members
- Read the briefing note issued by NHS England and NHS Improvementon COVID-19 for the primary care sector — this includes advice to patients and the public and advice for primary care providers such as GP practices and community pharmacies
- Read the guidance for primary care providers produced by PHE
- Stay up to date on the latest information about COVID-19; refer to Coronavirus latest information and advice of the GOV.UK website and Coronavirus disease outbreak section of the World Health Organisation (WHO) create link
- Check the latest GOV.UK guidance COVID-19: Specified countries and areas with implications for returning travellers or visitors arriving in the UK
- Be aware of the symptoms
- Advise patients to follow general prevention measures to prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses
- Refer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office sectionon the GOV.UK website for the latest travel advice
- Advise Isolated people to avoid having visitors in their home but it is acceptable for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food and medicine.
Advice to patients and the public
Immediately self isolate and call NHS 111 if:
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If you meet this criteria, DO NOT go to a GP surgery, community pharmacy or a hospital. Stay at home and call NHS 111/NHS Direct Wales/ NHS 24 111 (if you are in Northern Ireland call your GP) |
For further advice and guidance click here
Use of masks
- ONLY wear masks if they are taking care of someone with suspected COVID-19 infection or if they themselves are coughing, sneezing and have difficulty breathing
- ALWAYS use masks in combination with hand-hygiene and other preventative measures
- KNOW how to correctly put on, use, take off and dispose of a mask
What is the virus?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that has not been previously seen in humans. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses and there are several known coronaviruses that infect people and usually only cause mild respiratory disease, such as the common cold. However, at least two previously identified coronaviruses have caused severe disease
What are the symptoms?
| – Fever – Headache – Cough – Muscle pain – Tightness of the chest – Dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing) – Sore throat – Pneumonia – Nasal congestion – Severe respiratory syndrome – Malaise |
Methods to prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses
| Frequently clean your hands by washing your hands with soap and water or by using an alcohol-based hand rub product like a gel |
| When coughing and sneezing, use a tissue or if caught without cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow (when the tissue is used, discard it immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands as above) |
| Avoid close contact with anyone that is coughing, sneezing and has a fever, and maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance |
| Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth |
| If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, share information about any recent travels with NHS 111/NHS Direct Wales/ NHS 24 111 (people in Northern Ireland should contact their GP) |
| If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no specific travel history, carefully follow the precautions listed above and ensure that you stay at home until you recover |
| Avoid eating animal products that are not thoroughly cooked |
| Avoid direct contact with live animals or surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets situated in areas where cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed |
HR Advice
NPA members are advised to seek appropriate employment law advice from the NPA Employment Advisory Service, Ellis Whittam. This is a free service available to NPA member as part of your membership
Ellis Whittam contact details:
Telephone — 0330 123 0558 — please provide your NPA membership number to the advisor
Email — employmentadvice@npa.co.uk (please include your NPA membership number in the email)
Website — www.elliswhittam.com
NPA resources
A pharmacy team guide and poster to support pharmacy teams with COVID-19 queries