COVID-19: General guidelines

This is a list of the latest general guidance for treating and responding to patients with COVID-19.

Scottish Primary Care Hub Triage Guide (updated: 1 April 2020)

Guidance from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Scotland on treating patients with COVID-19

This is a key document. It is broad in scope, and sets out key recommendations to guide the delivery of health and social care from community assessment to critical care and end of life care. The guidance includes a Primary Care Triage Guide.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-clinical-advice/

Health Protection Scotland Guidance for First Responders and others in Close Contact with Symptomatic People

https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-guidance-for-first-responders-and-others-in-close-contact-with-symptomatic-people-with-potential-covid-19/

UK Government Guidance Document on infection prevention and control for COVID-19 (includes graphics and video on safe use of PPE) (last update: 12 April)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control

Rapid Evidence Reviews and Guidelines from NICE

A range of evidence reviews and rapid guidelines. Includes a Rapid Guideline on Critical Care featuring a flowchart/algorithm from hospital admission (refers to end of life care).

https://www.nice.org.uk/covid-19

The COVID-19 Compendium, produced by Health Protection Scotland, contains links to current national and international policy, guidance and resources on COVID-19 from key organisations. It is updated daily and arranged chronologically.

https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-compendium/

The Scottish Academy has set out some guidance for patients and family after death

http://www.scottishacademy.org.uk/patients-and-family-after-death

COVID-19 use of Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) Letter from Principal Medical Officer

The Scottish Government has published a letter from the Principal Medical Officer, Dr Mitchell, to NHS Boards, which aims to ensure clarity in relation to the use of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) with younger patients, those with a stable long term physical need, learning disability or autism.

COVID-19 position statement: CPAP for COVID-19-related respiratory failure

Healthcare Improvement Scotland and SIGN have published COVID-19 position statement: CPAP for COVID-19-related respiratory failure. The purpose of this document is to provide NHS Scotland with advice on the appropriate use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for people with COVID-19.

Hospital Visiting Guidance

The Scottish Government has published guidance to support a staged approach to reintroducing visits to hospitals over and above essential visits, in a safe and planned way. It only applies to areas of hospitals where there is no COVID-19.