Pregnant NHS staff

[Bobojangles]

Anyone else pregnant and an NHS clinican? It's very early days for me (5 1/2 weeks) but our trust is asking that we inform them early due to covid - bit nervous about it

I mainly work outpatient but am popping in and off the wards most days too. I want to stop seeing these inpatients but not sure how I can ask without it being weird for my other colleagues (even if I'm not scheduled for wards I normally nip up if extra help is needed)

I am currently around 11 weeks and informed my manager when I found out and was automatically put onto sheilding. This has since been reviewed and I’m back to work this week in a red/green area. I’m Not sure what is in place for my return but will no doubt find out when I go in!
Tell your charge and they should keep you right x

If you speak with your line manager, you can ask them to keep it confidential. They can do a risk assessment and that can guide what clinical activities you can and can't do just now. They might ask you to go see Occupational Health as part of that, but again they keep that confidential.

As far as your colleagues go, you could just say your line manager has changed your duties, or that a Covid-related risk assessment means you can't do all the things you used to do. There are probably plenty of jobs to go round so if you're feeling guilty about not doing your usual ward work, you could ask your colleagues what other work you can do to help - chasing test results, reviewing notes, dictation...

I am very similar to you ,OP, only further along. Normally I mainly work in outpatient setting, with on call rota and occasional ward visit. I had to confess to my line manager at 7 weeks when this whole thing kicked off. Initially I was working from home, mainly virtual clinics and admin, then came back to the hospital over 1 month ago but still not patient facing. I am just about to enter 3rd trimester and will be back to working from home until further notice/mat leave (whichever comes first). In my trust you can make a choice whether to be patient facing or not until 28 weeks, then it is advised to work from home (at the moment). You need to speak to your line manager and follow your Trust's policy.

Why would you want to stop seeing the inpatients? They’ve all been swabbed and their COVID status known....

The outpatients are the risky ones. Unknown Covid status, possibly despairingly long waits for their appts... so perhaps more likely to come despite symptoms?
pregnant staff without underlying conditions In my trust have been working as normal.

Hey , I’m 5 weeks and my job is in the community I also do bank shifts with on call and some ward visits - I’m thinking of telling my manager for the part time shifts that I’m pregnant as I have a choice to go on a ward and think I might be unecessary kt putting myself at risk- don’t get me wrong they give you face masks and gloves but it’s not a necessity so I might speak to the boss - as she probably will put me on a desk duty and ask someone else to go to the ward as I’ve been assessed as high risk !

I'm 20 weeks pregnant and I'm a hca on the bank so I'm on the wards. Anyone pregnant with no underlying conditions are still working as normal, although I have been told to avoid working on the covid wards and currently the guidelines state that we should be staying home from 28 weeks, but obviously that could change shortly as shielding is coming to an end

@Bobojangles I’m 12 weeks now and I have been on an adjusted working pattern since 5 weeks. I really struggled to tell people at work, mainly because I had two miscarriages previously and I guess I was struggling with a lot of anxiety (still am). I have only told a few select people, e.g. ward manager and my supervisor.

Have you done your individual COVID risk assessment? That made things a lot easier because I barely had to give any detail. I was already working on a low risk ward so then I was just signed off from on calls and some other adjustments made. Occupational health were so lovely, really kind and supportive. I think just get the conversation over and done with. It’s easier once a few people know. Your employer has a duty to protect you.