PICS Council have released new guidance on how PICUs need to work in flexible ways over the next few months during the covid-19 pandemic.
Re: Expectations regarding flexible working
In these challenging times we encourage you all to work in partnership and use your professional judgement regarding the delivery of safe care as informed by the values and principles of our PICS standards.
However PICS council recognises that in certain exceptional circumstances, PICUs will need to depart from established workforce standards relating to the expectations of the ratio of nurses, doctors and allied health professionals to patients on our units. Such decisions should be clinically informed, have the safety of our patients as our primary concern, and be led the Clinical Lead and Nurse Manager in conjunction with management colleagues.
This position is supported by all the statutory and health regulators:
https://www.gmc-uk.org/news/news-archive/how-we-will-continue-to-regulate-in-light-of-novel-coronavirus
Our hospital Trusts are also asked to support professionals who may be required to undertake duties outside their normal scope of practice.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/letter-supporting-doctors-in-the-event-of-a-covid-19-epidemic-in-the-uk/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/joint-nm-letter-12-march-2020.pdf