Health and dental care settings encouraged to reintroduce face masks
Health and dental care settings have been encouraged to reintroduce face coverings as Covid-19 case numbers rise.
NHS England has asked GP practices, dental clinics and hospitals in the Midlands to ask patients, staff and visitors to wear face coverings amid a surge in the number of Covid cases.
Statistics show that there has been a 97% increase in hospital Covid cases in some acute settings and a sharp increase in critical care beds used for Covid patients.
NHS England recommendations suggest that regional and local teams can decide whether to introduce mandatory face masks, but representatives have strongly encouraged some trusts to reintroduce coverings as a way of reducing transmission and protecting vulnerable staff and patients.
The NHS England Midlands regional team has written to dental and GP practices and local hospitals to encourage mask wearing due to evidence of the “next Covid-19 wave.” The letter outlines recent upticks in mental health and acute trust settings. There has also been a significant increase in staff absences due to Covid.
Other trusts, including Shropshire, Cornwall, Southampton and Gloucestershire, have also contacted healthcare providers to recommend mandatory face masks.
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