Novel coronavirus: issues for employers

Jog Hundle looks at the issues that employers will need to consider if their staff may have been in contact with the new coronavirus in a newly published briefing which includes links to the main sources of information and official guidance, including the newly published Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 which employers should continue to monitor in this fast-moving situation.

The real possibility that staff may need to be placed in quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus raises issues for employers that have not commonly been encountered since the SARS outbreak more than 15 years ago.

As Jog points out there are additional issues that arise when employing staff in clinical or care settings – the Department of Health & Social Care and Public Health England are leading the UK government response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Guidance for healthcare providers has been updated by Public Health England yesterday on how to manage healthcare workers (within and outside the NHS) who have travelled to China and other specified areas or are contacts for possible cases. Information and guidance is being updated on a daily basis.

In addition, Public Health England has published interim advice for primary care professionals dealing with patients with suspected novel coronavirus.

For further information on how this issue might affect your provider or commissioner organisation, please contact Jog Hundle or Stuart Craig.