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Huddersfield infirmary advising against using public transport

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David Verity

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My wife has been attending Huddersfield Royal Infirmary day surgery unit this week. The service was superb and she received prior to attending a long list of helpful information and do's and don'ts headed by "DO NOT ARRIVE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT" Now I can understand what the author's concerns might have been but it hardly gives confidence in "bussing back better" does it?

Mods please delete if inappropriate - just wanted to get it off my chest!
 
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Bayum

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My wife has been attending Huddersfield Royal Infirmary day surgery unit this week. The service was superb and she received prior to attending a long list of helpful information and do's and don'ts headed by "DO NOT ARRIVE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT" Now I can understand what the author's concerns might have been but it hardly gives confidence in "bussing back better" does it?

Mods please delete if inappropriate - just wanted to get it off my chest!
Considering they’re trying to keep theatres, theatre staff and ICUs ‘clean’, it makes sense. Are patients still being asked to do a PCR test prior to admission?
 
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Wolfie

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It depends on what the surgery was. When l had day surgery, way before CV, l was told that l wouldn't be released unaccompanied and should take a taxi home. There were concerns over potentially having to stand, being inadvertently knocked, possible infection implications, etc.
 

Andyh82

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My wife has been attending Huddersfield Royal Infirmary day surgery unit this week. The service was superb and she received prior to attending a long list of helpful information and do's and don'ts headed by "DO NOT ARRIVE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT" Now I can understand what the author's concerns might have been but it hardly gives confidence in "bussing back better" does it?

Mods please delete if inappropriate - just wanted to get it off my chest!

Was that advice due to Covid, you haven't explained that?
 

David Verity

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Was that advice due to Covid, you haven't explained that?

They didn't give a specific reason - just seemed rather intimidating whatever the motives.

Considering they’re trying to keep theatres, theatre staff and ICUs ‘clean’, it makes sense. Are patients still being asked to do a PCR test prior to admission?
Yes a test three days before admission and a further one on arrival - can't fault their thoroughness.
 

Bletchleyite

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My wife has been attending Huddersfield Royal Infirmary day surgery unit this week. The service was superb and she received prior to attending a long list of helpful information and do's and don'ts headed by "DO NOT ARRIVE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT" Now I can understand what the author's concerns might have been but it hardly gives confidence in "bussing back better" does it?

Mods please delete if inappropriate - just wanted to get it off my chest!

For surgery and given the pressure on the NHS they are being especially cautious. I understand that you have a PCR test 3 days beforehand and must then self isolate as if infected (i.e. not leave the house for any reason whatsoever*) until on the operating table. If you can't get there in your own car or that of another member of your immediate household they will arrange transport.

They are essentially after zero-risk (for understandable reasons - if it starts going round hospitals then that could be really bad), but unfortunately don't have the beds to admit between the PCR test and surgery.

* If you did for emergency reasons e.g. a house fire or evacuation, in my understanding they would postpone the surgery rather than take the risk.
 

Bayum

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For surgery and given the pressure on the NHS they are being especially cautious. I understand that you have a PCR test 3 days beforehand and must then self isolate as if infected (i.e. not leave the house for any reason whatsoever*) until on the operating table. If you can't get there in your own car or that of another member of your immediate household they will arrange transport.

They are essentially after zero-risk (for understandable reasons - if it starts going round hospitals then that could be really bad), but unfortunately don't have the beds to admit between the PCR test and surgery.

* If you did for emergency reasons e.g. a house fire or evacuation, in my understanding they would postpone the surgery rather than take the risk.
They’re being extremely cautious for exactly this reason. I’ve been to London a couple of times during lockdown 1 and then again in the 2nd lockdown and can only get there via train; we agreed for me to wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask to the hospital, clothes off and shower with hibiscrub thoroughly, into a hospital gown and repeat the process back home. Protect the NHS!
 

deltic

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Yet staff, especially in London arrive by public transport and its not clear what the difference in risk is between arriving by taxi and public transport.
 

Bantamzen

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My wife has been attending Huddersfield Royal Infirmary day surgery unit this week. The service was superb and she received prior to attending a long list of helpful information and do's and don'ts headed by "DO NOT ARRIVE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT" Now I can understand what the author's concerns might have been but it hardly gives confidence in "bussing back better" does it?

Mods please delete if inappropriate - just wanted to get it off my chest!
IIRC my wife got something similar from Bradford Royal Infirmary last year when she had to go for some checks. She did ring up and ask how she would do this as a) Neither of us drive & b) a taxi ride would be very expensive. Needless to say they would neither refund the cost of taxi travel, nor offer another solution.
 

MikeWM

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It depends on what the surgery was. When l had day surgery, way before CV, l was told that l wouldn't be released unaccompanied and should take a taxi home. There were concerns over potentially having to stand, being inadvertently knocked, possible infection implications, etc.

This has happened to me too - but you can often find a way around that if you're fairly cunning and detest wasting money on taxis. I have, a number of times :)

At the risk of going off-topic, I do however find the near-insistence that you go home the same day as having had a general anaesthetic for day surgery to be really quite irritating - I don't want to put the responsibility of looking after me onto a friend, even if I could find one willing to give up a day/night to do so. When you're kept in overnight, you get observations etc. by trained professionals to see if something is wrong, which is surely preferable. Also you often need to come back the next morning anyway to see the surgeon. I've had to stand my ground on that one and insist I stay in overnight a few times.
 

Bayum

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Yet staff, especially in London arrive by public transport and its not clear what the difference in risk is between arriving by taxi and public transport.
Wearing their uniform?
 

Bayum

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Good question - I seem to recall some wearing uniform but not many - do staff shower and change shoes when they come on duty?
Should do ideally. Good IPC protection for patients and home.
 

172007

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Few years ago now someone mentioned NHS staff traveling in uniforms to work and home being something of a more recent phenomen (last few decades) what used to happen, what changed and what risk by wearing a uniform to work could it transmit to vulnerable patients? I guess MRSA for starters?
 

Bayum

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Few years ago now someone mentioned NHS staff traveling in uniforms to work and home being something of a more recent phenomen (last few decades) what used to happen, what changed and what risk by wearing a uniform to work could it transmit to vulnerable patients? I guess MRSA for starters?
Any number of pathogens can be transported either to or from hospital. MRSA, influenza, norovirus, c-diff, COVID-19 etc.
 

carlberry

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Few years ago now someone mentioned NHS staff traveling in uniforms to work and home being something of a more recent phenomen (last few decades) what used to happen, what changed and what risk by wearing a uniform to work could it transmit to vulnerable patients? I guess MRSA for starters?
Various clinical reasons however several trusts warned staff not to last last year because of the risk of people stealing the staff lanyards (because of all the offers at the time).
 

johnnychips

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I am not sure the advice is a Covid thing, though I think it would make more sense if it said do not depart by public transport. When I had a gastroscopy (tube down oesphagus) they said I could have a pre-med sedative to make the experience more pleasant but I should take a taxi home in case I felt groggy. I didn’t have one and it wasn’t too bad. When I had a keyhole knee operation, I had the same advice, but this was to avoid walking on it too much. I got a lift.

In either case, surely the advice should be ’don’t arrive by car and intend to drive home’. So, contradicting myself totally, perhaps it is a Covid thing.
 

yorksrob

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Yes, generally if you have to have a seditive for something, they recommend not using public transport (or driving for obvious reasons).
 

Bayum

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No it doesn't.
Why not? What do you disagree with?

They don't though do they?
They should. RCN (2020) states:
‘If you are a location-based worker (for example those who work in a hospital, hospice, GP, surgery, clinic, etc.) you must travel to work in your own clothes and take a uniform in a plastic bag to change into once on site.’
 
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221129

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Why not? What do you disagree with?
Public transport is one of the least likely places to actually catch COVID. Every study so far has found no traces on trains or stations.

Most taxis I've used recently have been an awful lot dirtier than any bus or train I've used. And don't even start about private vehicles as how often do people disinfect them?

The amount of health care staff going around in uniform on the way into work, or out for a fag break should be where the concern is.

They should
But back in the real world, they don't.
 

Yew

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Yet staff, especially in London arrive by public transport and its not clear what the difference in risk is between arriving by taxi and public transport.
Given that I have a doctor friend who after being pinged is only leaving the house to go to work in a hospital with vulnerable people, this strikes me more as 'covid security theatre' than something that's proven to be effective.
 

greyman42

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The amount of health care staff going around in uniform on the way into work, or out for a fag break should be where the concern is.
I have had experience in the food production industry and this practice would lead to individuals facing disciplinary action.
 
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