By Lisa Burgess • Published: 15 Mar 2020 • 18:31
Doctors in the UK have been ordered back to work despite being in isolation after treating coronavirus patients. They also have not been tested.
On Twitter today, Dr. Mike, an emergency medicine doctor, has said that “twelve doctors working at seven NHS trusts, who have been symptomatic after dealing with COVID-19 patients, have been ordered back to work, despite being in isolation”. He comments “is this protecting the public and the frontline workforce?” while tagging Health Minister, Matt Hancock in the post.
The twelve doctors treated an 89-year-old virus patient who died at Charing Cross Hospital in west London last week. They have been recalled even though they should still be self-isolating and have not even been tested.
Dr. Samantha Batt-Rawden of the Doctors’ Association UK said she was “very concerned” about staff having to return early.
In a change to national NHS guidance, medics who have had close contact with infected patients are now being told to keep working unless they get symptoms.
Only last week King’s College Hospital which is one of London’s biggest teaching hospitals is currently working under a “major incident framework”. In an internal email on Wednesday, they said 18 patients had tested positive.
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