Testing patients for Covid-19 has changed. In summary:         

• We no longer test all patients admitted to our hospitals. Only patients with symptoms of Covid-19 or immunosuppression are to be tested.
• We no longer test patients prior to surgery. Only patients who are symptomatic or profoundly immunosuppressed require pre-operative testing (see flowcharts), irrespective of immunisation status.
• We no longer need to LFD test immunocompetent patients with Covid-19 at day 6 and 7 to stepdown from isolation.  Patients are able to stepdown from isolation at day 6 without a test following a clinical review and if they have been fever free for 48hrs.
• We still test patients being discharged to care homes, but this is by LFD test only.
• We still test immunosuppressed patients with Covid-19 after 14 days isolation using lab PCR prior to stepping down isolation precautions.

Please refer to the Testing & management of infectious respiratory diseases - standard operating procedure v13c 04/04/23 for details. 

It is on the Infection Prevention pages - see Organisms - or click here.