The Guidelines team has produced the following directory of COVID-19 information and guidance for primary care. This page will be updated as and when relevant guidance/information is made available.
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Guidelines summaries
Browse our catalogue of COVID-19 guideline summaries at guidelines.co.uk/summaries/coronavirus.
Key COVID-19 guidance for primary care
The main source of guidance that all healthcare professionals should refer to is the NHS coronavirus guidance for clinicians and managers. The NHS has also produced a standard operating procedure (SOP) for community pharmacists. The NHS has published guidance on general practice in the context of coronavirus.
NICE has developed a series of rapid guidelines on the active management of COVID-19 infection, which can be found here.
PHE has guidance for investigation and initial clinical management of a possible case of coronavirus. PHE has also produced guidance for people advised to self isolate, as well as guidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing). All updates to PHE guidance for COVID-19 are found on the MHRA central alerting system (CAS), which should be regularly checked by practice staff.
The NHS website has all the relevant guidance on assessment, diagnosis, management of suspected and confirmed coronavirus, discharge, isolation, and travel advice for patients.
All practices should ensure coronavirus patient information posters are displayed and visible to patients before entering the practice. Patient information should be displayed at reception, the medicines counter by any patient touch screen booking-in, waiting areas and at patient access points to clinical areas.
PHE has published information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). A concise table with information on recommended PPE for ambulance staff, paramedics, first responders, other patient transport services and pharmacy staff can be found here.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, and NHS Improvement have published a standard operating procedure on how to run a safe and effective medicines reuse scheme in a care home or hospice during the coronavirus outbreak.
DHSC has published guidance for local authorities and local decision-makers on containing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks at a local level
The MHRA has launched a dedicated Yellow Card reporting site for healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers to report easily:
- suspected side effects associated with any medicine used in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19
- incidents involving medical devices used in relation to COVID-19, including adverse incidents with equipment, diagnostic testing kits and software/apps.
NSAIDs
On 14 April 2020, NICE published its COVID-19 rapid evidence summary: acute use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for people with or at risk of COVID-19, and NHS England and NHS Improvement released a policy statement on the use of NSAIDs in people with or at risk of COVID-19.
Community pharmacy
The General Pharmaceutical Council has signed a joint statement, alongside the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, and Pharmacy Forum NI, on emphasising social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has published guidance on COVID-19 for pharmacists and the pharmacy workforce, including frequently asked questions and additional resources
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has produced an overview of their Pandemic Delivery Service, which aims to provide information for pharmacy contractors and their teams on new contractual responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, related to supporting extremely vulnerable patients self-isolating at home to obtain their medicines
The PSNC has published a digital guide to the Pandemic Delivery Service for community pharmacy contractors
The PSNC has worked with the National Pharmacy Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group to produce joint guidance on dealing with unwanted medicines that have been returned to community pharmacies in England.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have released a document addressing the home delivery of prescription medicines during the COVID-19 outbreak
NHS England and NHS Improvement
This online consultation toolkit, developed by NHS England and Improvement, is an interactive document that provides a range of ideas and options for different professionals, including clinicians, at different points in their implementation journey
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published guidance for consulting via video with patients at home, including principles for safely assessing patients using a video consultation
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published after-care needs of inpatients recovering from COVID-19, which aims to meet the immediate and longer-term care needs of patients discharged following an acute episode of COVID-19, by describing the typical expected health care needs of these patients, post-discharge
NHS England has published clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on maintaining immunisation programmes during COVID-19
NICE
NICE has developed a series of rapid guidelines on the active management of COVID-19 infection
- Critical care
- Systemic anticancer treatments
- Dialysis
- Renal transplantation
- Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- Radiotherapy
- Severe asthma
- Managing suspected or confirmed pneumonia in adults in the community
- Rheumatological autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic bone disorders
- Managing symptoms (including at the end of life) in the community
- Community-based care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Dermatological conditions treated with drugs affecting the immune response
- Cystic fibrosis
- Acute myocardial injury
- Gastrointestinal and liver conditions treated with drugs affecting the immune response
- Antibiotics for pneumonia in adults in hospital
- Children and young people who are immunocompromised
- Acute kidney injury in hospital
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Interstitial lung disease
NICE has also published a clinical knowledge summary (CKS) on coronavirus, which covers management of suspected coronavirus infection, advice for vulnerable groups, and where reliable clinical information can be found
Royal College of General Practitioners
The RCGP has published specific guidance for general practice, including out-of-hours.
Information for specific groups
The following is a list of links providing additional information for specific groups. This will be updated regularly as new information is published.
Allergy
The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) has published modifications for allergy services during COVID-19 pandemic, which provides suggestions for changes to service provision.
- Adult allergy services
- Paediatric allergy services
Cardiovascular
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers
The Primary Care Cardiovascular Society has developed some specific advice about COVID-19 for patients taking angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
The British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) together with the British Society for Heart Failure (BSH) released a joint statement with regards to treatment with ACEi or ARB in relation to COVID-19
Care of the elderly
The British Geriatrics Society has compiled a list of current official UK/global advice and publications relating to COVID-19
Diabetes
For guidance on practical recommendations for the management of diabetes in patients with COVID-19:
Diabetes UK has produced COVID-19 guidance for people living with diabetes and their families, with emphasis on social distancing measures
NHS England has produced a page of key information to support the delivery of diabetes care in London
The Primary Care Diabetes Society has published a COVID-19 fact sheet for healthcare professionals to consider when caring for people with diabetes, including links to guidance and general advice for managing diabetes during intercurrent illness
Eye, ear, nose, and throat
ENT UK has published information on loss of sense of smell as a marker of COVID-19 infection
Gastrointestinal
The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) has published specific COVID-19 advice for healthcare professionals in Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Musculoskeletal and joints
The Royal Osteoporosis Society has published White paper: Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond. The paper discusses:
- Our stall for leadership in osteoporosis healthcare
- Issues surrounding osteoporosis in the COVID-19 period
- The importance of taking action to prevent further fractures as we Restore, Rebuild and Reset
Paediatrics
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published COVID-19 guidance for healthcare professionals working in paediatrics and child health, with signposts and links to further information
RCPCH has published guidance on paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19
Pregnancy
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has published COVID-19 information for healthcare professionals caring for pregnant women
RCOG, Royal College of Midwives, RCPCH, PHE, and Health Protection Scotland have published guidance for healthcare professionals on COVID-19 infection in pregnancy
Renal
The Renal Association has published a position statement on COVID-19 and ACE inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker use
Respiratory
Asthma UK has published health advice concerning COVID-19 for people with asthma.
The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has published information to support the respiratory community during the COVID-19 outbreak, including community respiratory services, COPD and COVID-19 for HCPs, advice for HCPs treating patients with asthma, and obstructive sleep apnoea
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has published answers to frequently asked questions on the management of asthma during the COVID-19 outbreak
The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) recognises that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the worst affected by COVID-19 and is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to try to minimise the impact of the infection. GOLD has produced a brief list of guidance for patients with COPD
Sexual health
British HIV Association (BHIVA) has produced guidance for the management of adults with HIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART) during the coronavirus pandemic
Terrence Higgins Trust has produced information on COVID-19, guidance for people living with HIV, and answers to frequently asked questions
Skin and wound care
International Psoriasis Council (IPC) has published a statement on the COVID-19 outbreak
British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has published a statement on dry skin and frequent handwashing to reduce COVID-19 risk
Women’s health
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has published information on the provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) during the COVID-19 outbreak
FSRH has produced a guide for patients to help them stay informed about contraception and abortion services during the COVID-19 pandemic
Further FSRH guidance on COVID-19:
Clinical advice to support provision of effective contraception during the COVID-19 outbreak
Recommendation on extended use of the etonogestrel implant and 52 mg levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system during COVID restrictions
The Primary Care Women’s Health Forum (PCWHF) has produced guidance on managing contraceptive provision without face-to-face consultations to help primary care clinicians support women with their contraceptive needs during the coronavirus pandemic
The PCWHF has also published guidance on managing remote consultations on abnormal uterine bleeding during the coronavirus pandemic, including advice on heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), intermenstrual bleeding (IMB), post-menopausal bleeding (PMB) (occurring in women not using HRT), post-coital bleeding (PCB), and unscheduled bleeding on HRT
Furthermore, the PCWHF has published a PCS COVID-19 Community Contraception Guide, covering oral contraception: repeat or new starter, and long acting reversible contraception: Depo DMPA, implant, copper IUD, and IUS; and guidance on managing HRT provision without face-to-face consultations during COVID-19 healthcare restrictions.
Further PCWHF guidance links:
- RCOG and Specialist Societies guidance for gynaecological services during COVID-19
- BSUG guidance on management of Urogynaecological Conditions and Vaginal Pessary use during Covid 19 Pandemic
- Royal College of Psychiatrists advice on COVID-19
- Framework for restoration of menopause services in response to COVID-19
- Protocol for LARC fittings in primary care during COVID-19 restriction easing
NHS England and NHS Improvement has worked with PHE to develop guidance on smear taking during COVID-19
RCOG has published guidance for COVID-19 infection and abortion care, as well as Q&A relating to this guidance
On 19 June, RCOG updated guidance for healthcare professionals on coronavirus infection in pregnancy
RCOG, British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) and British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) have published joint guidance for the management of abnormal uterine bleeding in the evolving coronavirus pandemic
Further information
COVID-19 testing is available for essential workers who are self-isolating
- self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk
- www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published a joint statement from chief executives of statutory regulators of health and care professionals
- www.nmc.org.uk/news/news-and-updates/how-we-will-continue-to-regulate-in-light-of-novel-coronavirus/
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has produced guidance on ethical, professional decision-making in the COVID-19 pandemic
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