Hospitals in Dewsbury 'fully compliant' with all coronavirus guidance, NHS Trust confirms

At a meeting of the NHS Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust Board on Thursday morning, chief executive Martin Barkley said the trust had set up three groups to ensure that they comply with all national guidance.

He said the Trust, which serves Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals, are hoping to begin delivering community swabbing this week.

It is unclear what form this community swabbing would take, though other Trusts have trialled schemes including 'drive-through' testing and visiting people in their homes.

Mr Barkley said: "The Trust is fully compliant with the national guidance. At the national guidance new guidance is issued very frequently. We have established a command and central set up in the trust.

"We have an operational group that meets at 9am every morning. We have a technical group that meets at least twice a week. And we have a strategic group that should meet once a week but has already met twice this week.

"It is a very dynamic situation. We have the pods on all of our sites and we are moving towards delivering community swabbing this week."

Kirklees Council is reminding residents to follow central government advice, as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.

Rachel Spencer-Henshall, Director for Public Health in Kirklees, said: “I’d like to reassure residents that we are continuing to work closely with colleagues in the health service to stop the virus spreading.

“Specialists at PHE have taken swift action to follow up with people who have been in contact with confirmed cases, ensuring they receive the correct medical advice and guidance.

“In the meantime, good hygiene is the very best prevention, and there are some simple steps we can all take to protect ourselves, our families and communities.

“This includes washing hands regularly for a minimum of 20 seconds, and following NHS advice in relation to coughs and colds – catch the sneeze in a tissue, bin it…and kill the germs.”