Any NHS workers? I need advice

[Pitstop1986]

I currently am 15+2 with my first. I work in operating theatres and there hasn't been a pregnancy for a few years, certainly not since Covid broke out.

I have had a risk assessment, but that didn't include anything to do with keeping yourself safe and protected since Covid.

I have heard that people are being given leave with full pay from 28 weeks if they work in a hospital setting, however, I can't find any written advice or guidance to take to my manager (who remains with their head stuck in the sand ignoring that there's any risk)

I wondered if anyone could direct me to some guidelines or give advice on how to tackle this. What are your trusts doing to protect their pregnant staff?

Thank you 🙂

Hi @Pitstop1986. I'm 29 weeks with my first and also work in a frontline NHS role (now WFH for past week).

It doesn't sound like your managers are being supportive at all...I'm really sorry to hear that as pregnancy is stressful enough without having to navigate this as well!

I personally had a risk assessment as soon as I told my managers that I was pregnant. It included how to try and socially distance but obviously that can't be guaranteed in a hospital setting. Up until 28 weeks there's not a lot you can do about that however after 28 weeks your risk of getting seriously unwell if contracting Covid goes up and so the current advice is that you should be given opportunity to work with social distancing in place, and adaptations made to support this (e.g WFH) but if not then going on leave with full pay is recommended.

See here...www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

Just a heads up they won't just let you go on full pay at 28 weeks automatically, they will try and look for alternative work in first instance. There is also now the added complication of restrictions being lifted tomorrow so I'm not sure where things will stand after.

If I were you I would ask for an occupational health referral and consider union involvement if you don't feel safe with the role your managers are expecting you to do.

I hope that helps, good luck and enjoy your pregnancy :) x

I’m glad you posted this, our pregnant ladies have all be non patient facing from 28/40 and in our role they can’t work from home so have been off.

Having said tht I was chatting with my co worker who is 25 weeks pregnant and I said you can go off soon…. Make the most of it as it’s a once in a life time to get full pay from 28/40, You can finally have your year off and she said it’s all changing and that’s not happening anymore….. but she never told me where the literature to this is.
I will ask her tomorrow where the guidance is.

You shd have a pregnancy risk assessment and your trust shd also have a Covid risk assessment….. in our trust Covid trial assessment (so far) and I may be updated in the next week as the government rules are changing we are also on v14 so far! It said after 28/40 pregnant women have to have be non patient facing. Have your trust got a Covid risk assessment? they shd as all trusts have to have one.

i will see if I can find anything for my trust tomorrow, all your trusts Risk assessments should be on your trusts staff internal home page - have you also asked HR or employe relations for advice?

RCOG no longer recommends blanket WFH/suspension from 28 weeks. Just non-frontline. We’re redeploying ours into jobs that can be done from safe offices/home.

I don’t think anyone on my trust is going off at full pay most have been taking off front line. Although if they work in ‘green’ areas… can stay put apparently!

I think it may also be different now as people had the chance to become vaccinated before falling pregnant.

I'm 34 weeks now and was already pregnant by the time front line workers were being offered the vaccine back in December, but I'm guessing you may well have had yours?

The 28 weeks guidance varies between trusts so advice on here won't necessarily be correct. Get seen by occupational health who will be able to advise (you can self refer or ask your line manager to). Your risk assessment should be being reviewed regularly and should encompass Covid precautions.

Hi OP. I’m a nurse on a busy surgical ward. Currently just approaching 37 weeks. I had my first risk assessment at around 17 weeks. It was late being done as I had to request to do night shifts only while I suffered with sickness so didn’t see any senior staff. But they did it as soon as I returned to days. I was very upset at the time about it not being done til 17 weeks but looking back now I understand why as they where accommodating my request for a period of nights shift only. My risk assessment had all the usual stuff you would expect plus a covid section which said I was to be moved off the ward if it became a covid positive ward.

My ward unfortunately did become a covid positive ward for a short period and I was moved to a ‘green’ area until we switched back to a medium/low risk pathway ward.

From 28 weeks I was non patient facing, but was allowed to stay in the ward area as long as my team did twice a week testing, patients tested every three days (as per my trust policy), I had no patient contact and sat behind a screen/in the office with a mask on. I did admin duties, helped the ward manager and matron with audits and training material updates, daily telephone updates for relatives while visiting was suspended, did all the referrals and written discharge plans to free up the patient facing nurses. It actually worked really well as the nurses where able to nurse rather then spend their time sat at a computer or on the phone. I also was moved to a different office area a few hours a week to assist admin team with scanning and filing type duties. Obviously not what I trained for but was happy with this arrangement as I felt safe and supported at work. My team where amazing in supporting me those last few weeks at work so I was able to stay and help on the ward. They even let me do a few weekends so I wouldn’t loose all my enhancements so have still been able to save some more money for the drop in pay when Mat pay kicks in.

I took 2 weeks annual leave at 36 weeks and will start my maternity at 38 weeks. But yes I was able to stay and help my colleagues until 36 weeks with reasonable adjustments made by the trust.

Other posters are correct in saying that the guidance has changed from saying all pregnant health care staff to work from home/medical suspension on full pay, to it now just saying that ‘a more precautionary approach must be taken by employers’. Your trust should have policy about it though aswell which takes into consideration the government and RCOG guidance. Speak with your manager, matron, directorate manager, HR and occy health to see what adjustments can be made to keep you safe. If nothing can be done and there is no suitable alternative roles you could assist with that are non patient facing then I would expect the trust to medically suspend you on full pay. The above plan I outline for myself was authorised by all those people and was a pretty smooth process once the ball was rolling.

Good luck and let us know how you get on with everything. Just wanted to share my positive experience! X

Midwife here, and our staff are all working as normal in clinical areas unless ECV already or develop a condition during pregnancy that makes you ECV.

17 weeks pregnant cardiology nurse here. I have been advised by my manager that I will be leaving for shielding at 28 weeks on full pay. Xx

@ExcitingTimes2021

Hi OP. I’m a nurse on a busy surgical ward. Currently just approaching 37 weeks. I had my first risk assessment at around 17 weeks. It was late being done as I had to request to do night shifts only while I suffered with sickness so didn’t see any senior staff. But they did it as soon as I returned to days. I was very upset at the time about it not being done til 17 weeks but looking back now I understand why as they where accommodating my request for a period of nights shift only. My risk assessment had all the usual stuff you would expect plus a covid section which said I was to be moved off the ward if it became a covid positive ward.

My ward unfortunately did become a covid positive ward for a short period and I was moved to a ‘green’ area until we switched back to a medium/low risk pathway ward.

From 28 weeks I was non patient facing, but was allowed to stay in the ward area as long as my team did twice a week testing, patients tested every three days (as per my trust policy), I had no patient contact and sat behind a screen/in the office with a mask on. I did admin duties, helped the ward manager and matron with audits and training material updates, daily telephone updates for relatives while visiting was suspended, did all the referrals and written discharge plans to free up the patient facing nurses. It actually worked really well as the nurses where able to nurse rather then spend their time sat at a computer or on the phone. I also was moved to a different office area a few hours a week to assist admin team with scanning and filing type duties. Obviously not what I trained for but was happy with this arrangement as I felt safe and supported at work. My team where amazing in supporting me those last few weeks at work so I was able to stay and help on the ward. They even let me do a few weekends so I wouldn’t loose all my enhancements so have still been able to save some more money for the drop in pay when Mat pay kicks in.

I took 2 weeks annual leave at 36 weeks and will start my maternity at 38 weeks. But yes I was able to stay and help my colleagues until 36 weeks with reasonable adjustments made by the trust.

Other posters are correct in saying that the guidance has changed from saying all pregnant health care staff to work from home/medical suspension on full pay, to it now just saying that ‘a more precautionary approach must be taken by employers’. Your trust should have policy about it though aswell which takes into consideration the government and RCOG guidance. Speak with your manager, matron, directorate manager, HR and occy health to see what adjustments can be made to keep you safe. If nothing can be done and there is no suitable alternative roles you could assist with that are non patient facing then I would expect the trust to medically suspend you on full pay. The above plan I outline for myself was authorised by all those people and was a pretty smooth process once the ball was rolling.

Good luck and let us know how you get on with everything. Just wanted to share my positive experience! X

I’m exactly the same as you. I’m currently 26 weeks, nurse on a respiratory Covid ward so much higher risk. I’m now no longer patient facing but in the back doing audits etc like yourself. I’ve been signed off by my GP for last 2 weeks due to stress but due back this week, however the ward is very busy with a lot of poorly patients again so I’m not sure how I feel about returning, even if I am sat at the desk

@SNKB14 hmmm surely there is a safer place for you to work then a covid positive ward, even if non patient facing! Even when non patient facing if covid positive patients where to be moved on to my ward again my risk assessment said I was to be moved to a green area to continue work. I was more then happy to stay at work with the condition I was kept away from positive patients, I wouldn’t have been staying on a ward like yours! Maybe ask for your risk assessment to be reviewed in light of increasing prevalence and the increased stress it is causing. Good luck!!! X