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The NHS has relaxed infection prevention and control (IPC) requirements for hospitals and GP practices that were introduced during the pandemic as it seeks to free up capacity to tackle the huge treatment backlog.
Revised guidance from NHS England and NHS Improvement1 published last week says that healthcare providers will no longer be required to adhere to routine physical distancing measures but should carry out risk assessments to determine whether some precautions such as hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) are required in specific settings.
Isolation precautions for hospital inpatients with covid-19 are also being relaxed. Isolation periods can reduce from 10 days to 7 days if patients have two negative lateral flow tests taken 24 hours apart as well as showing clinical improvement, the guidance states. Inpatients who are contacts of SARS-CoV-2 cases are no longer required to isolate if they are asymptomatic.
In a letter2 to service leaders outlining the changes, NHS England said the revised guidance “takes into account the UK Health Security Agency’s latest assessment of the scientific evidence, and also feedback...