Winter Preparedness for Health and Care Settings

Check your facility’s Winter Preparedness Plan is up to date and aligned with AMRIC guidance. The plan should include staffing resilience, vaccination, and isolation plan and a communication plan.

As part of the preparedness, settings should ensure there are sufficient stocks to manage cases/ outbreaks, consumables including alcohol-based hand rub, etc.

Leadership – Cast an inspiring vision through visible leadership campaigns promoting vaccines

Resource planning (Winter leave cover / peer vaccinator programme planning etc)

Laboratory pathways for acute respiratory infection (ARI) testing (to include Nursing home / Residential Care Facilities) in all Regional Health Areas.

Ensure staff have read and understood the plan and are up to date with infection prevention and control guidance and resources.

Offer recommended winter vaccines, including influenza (flu) and COVID-19 vaccines, to eligible residents and staff.

Ensure frequent use of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) to clean hands as per the WHO 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene.

If hands are visibly soiled, then wash with soap and water. Ensure adequately stocked supplies of ABHR and soap to facilitate hand hygiene.

Thorough surface and environmental cleaning and disinfection of the healthcare environment, this includes patient surrounds and frequently touched objects.

Provide dedicated equipment where possible, if common use of equipment is unavoidable, clean and disinfect and allow it to dry before use on another person.

Ensure appropriate waste management including increased appropriate healthcare risk waste capacity and collection healthcare risk waste capacity & collection during an outbreak.

Reinforce education of staff in the WHO 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene, respiratory hygiene and PPE based on a point-of-care risk assessment, including correct donning and doffing procedures.

Recognise the important role of IPC in preventing infections by familiarising teams with IPC resources and materials to include the following: NIO/ HPSC posters & leaflets and current guidance (ARI, Antiviral guidance, IPC, PPE).

Reinforce PCR swabbing and laboratory multiplex testing for influenza A and B, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.

Ensure that staff are up to date with all appropriate training on AMRIC Hub and HSELanD.

Give peer vaccinators protected training time and use HSE influenza vaccination materials for health and care workers.

Remind staff not to work when unwell. Support residents with hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.

Offer influenza(flu) and COVID-19 vaccines to eligible groups and promote vaccination at every appropriate opportunity.

Offer influenza vaccine to all health and care workers, and COVID-19 vaccine to eligible staff and any worker who wishes to receive it.

Make vaccination convenient for every shift, including overnight.

Provide visible leadership and protected time for vaccination.

Record staff vaccine uptake on the National Immunisation Information System for real-time reporting.

Use local communication plans and facility uptake data, where available, to target action and improve uptake.

Ensure staff know how to recognise signs and symptoms of respiratory illnesses, seek clinical assessment and start immediate management following the Point of Care Risk Assessment for IPC.

Ensure staff know how and when to request lab testing for infection with respiratory viruses and have the correct swabs and lab request forms. It is recommended that you have an appropriate minimum of in date swabs on site.(e.g. 5-10).

Know when and how to contact your Regional Department of Public Health: report two or more cases of flu-like-illness, single confirmed cases of flu or COVID-19, and outbreaks of diarrhoea or vomiting.