Royal Mail Delivering coronavirus tests to NHS staff : Including LTB

dennym90 · Post by **dennym90** » 27 Mar 2020, 22:37

Deadly wrote:Surely it would be better for these health workers to drop the used testing kit at their workplace and then forward them in bulk rather than single items through the postal system?

I believe these kits are being delivered to those workers who are suspected to have it and are self isolating. So no leaving house to drop off anything.

seaside · Post by **seaside** » 27 Mar 2020, 22:43

If they think they have it, are they suppose to go out and post it

RTP · Post by **RTP** » 27 Mar 2020, 22:49

viking1488 wrote:What precautions should should I take to protect postmen and women?
There are clear instructions in the testing kit on how to package the sample safely - please place the sample into the supplied corrugated cardboard box and then into a plastic envelope.

Following advice from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer:

NHS workers will be required wash their hands immediately before and after sample collection, and again before packaging

They should also wipe the external packaging with a disinfectant wipe
How safe is it for postmen and women? Is there a risk they will get infected?
The health of our colleagues is our first priority. Royal Mail has worked in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer to ensure that the process is safe for our colleagues. The Chief Medical Officer has consulted with a panel of experts on the safe transport of the completed COVID-19 test kits. The following steps have been put in place to prevent any cross-contamination:

NHS workers will be required to wash their hands immediately before and after sample collection, and again before packaging
They should also wipe the external packaging with a disinfectant wipe
The return packaging that will be used for the completed test kits complies with WHO Category B packaging requirements for the safe transport of infectious viruses
We have also introduced an additional measure to give our postmen and women extra protection. Collection drivers will be issued with plastic bags so that they don’t have to touch the item directly. They will use the ‘inverted bag technique’ which picking up these items - putting their hand into the bag, turning it inside out and then sealing it. Full operational guidance will follow next week.
We are also reminding colleagues to wash their hands before, during and after their rounds, in line with guidance we have already issued.

Following on from the advice of the chief medical officer.

Chris Witty....

Roccat4 · Post by **Roccat4** » 28 Mar 2020, 00:24

Absolutely disgusting attitude especially coming from someone that lives with an nhs worker. The same kind of attitude that will kill thousands of more people in the UK in the coming weeks. Hundreds of thousands worldwide, because they aren't taking it seriously.

This virus isn't the same as collecting stool or blood tests for hepatitis or some other disease there is a cure for. It is severely contagious and because it is new, no one knows fully how it works. Even the top minds in the world are all speculating.

There should be a full lockdown in the uk, essential services only. And I mean nhs essential. Supermarkets too. Not royal mail wanting to deliver junk mail. It's an absolute disgrace that we are still opened and potentially infected hundreds of thousands of people while delivering pizza leaflets.

We need to take this seriously. We are two weeks behind italy and look at their rates at the minute.

Arguing on the internet is like running in the special Olympics, even if you win - you are still retarded.

Just curious what is disgusting? The fact that I don't have a problem with performing a task that is given to me (and lies within job description)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAhz65gwBU0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty sure this guys deliver a lot of s..t but still take pride in their job.

It is not all about what you do, it is about how you do it.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 28 Mar 2020, 02:25

Lets hope Royal Mail don't f**k this up or they will just make it look as it's the postman/women fault again as they always do!

Post by **wacko74** » 28 Mar 2020, 03:38

Deadly wrote:Surely it would be better for these health workers to drop the used testing kit at their workplace and then forward them in bulk rather than single items through the postal system?

Best suggestion so far.

Safer for all concerned as they can be handled in a clinical way separate from other mail and would probably result in them being processed quicker anyway.

As for that bollocks about dealing with them separately and using an inverted sealable plastic bag... how are we supposed to spot them in a postbox full of other items of mail, and if we do spot them we're expected to do this for each of the thousands of test kits in the system..which will potentially become many hundreds of thousands if they become more widely available to the general public.

norris9 · Post by **norris9** » 28 Mar 2020, 07:10

I have touched the poo test packages that get sent in the post so it's now time for the coronavirus test packages.

We are key workers and we should be proud.

Army stand on the front line risking death.

Doctors and Nurses see people dying and put themselves in direct danger.

Firemen, Police, Paramedics see people dying and put themselves in direct danger.

750,000 people from England volunteer to help people who have the virus, including transporting them to hospital.

Posties......complain about delivering a parcel with a test in it.

Jesus, please save us!

redneck · Post by **redneck** » 28 Mar 2020, 08:25

If we are so important why is it proposed that Amazon get 60 per cent of the work? The national crisis is still being driven by market forces. We are not highly thought of by Government.

dennym90 · Post by **dennym90** » 28 Mar 2020, 08:46

norris9 wrote:I have touched the poo test packages that get sent in the post so it's now time for the coronavirus test packages.

We are key workers and we should be proud.

Army stand on the front line risking death.

Doctors and Nurses see people dying and put themselves in direct danger.

Firemen, Police, Paramedics see people dying and put themselves in direct danger.

750,000 people from England volunteer to help people who have the virus, including transporting them to hospital.

Posties......complain about delivering a parcel with a test in it.

Jesus, please save us!

They are all trained professionals. Some sworn to protect the public. Us? We didn't receive any training. No PPE, no nothing. We are only classed as key workers so the government didn't have to pay 160,000 workers 80% wage. That's it.

Fair play to the volunteers though. Hope they are provided with the proper protection, which I'm sure they will be.

gb93 · Post by **gb93** » 28 Mar 2020, 08:59

Maybe every office should get one of these kind spirited 750 000 people to go round emptying the boxes

derricksmyth · Post by **derricksmyth** » 28 Mar 2020, 09:51

viking1488 wrote:
viking1488 wrote:What precautions should should I take to protect postmen and women?
There are clear instructions in the testing kit on how to package the sample safely - please place the sample into the supplied corrugated cardboard box and then into a plastic envelope.

Following advice from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer:

NHS workers will be required wash their hands immediately before and after sample collection, and again before packaging

They should also wipe the external packaging with a disinfectant wipe
How safe is it for postmen and women? Is there a risk they will get infected?
The health of our colleagues is our first priority. Royal Mail has worked in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer to ensure that the process is safe for our colleagues. The Chief Medical Officer has consulted with a panel of experts on the safe transport of the completed COVID-19 test kits. The following steps have been put in place to prevent any cross-contamination:

NHS workers will be required to wash their hands immediately before and after sample collection, and again before packaging
They should also wipe the external packaging with a disinfectant wipe
The return packaging that will be used for the completed test kits complies with WHO Category B packaging requirements for the safe transport of infectious viruses
We have also introduced an additional measure to give our postmen and women extra protection. Collection drivers will be issued with plastic bags so that they don’t have to touch the item directly. They will use the ‘inverted bag technique’ which picking up these items - putting their hand into the bag, turning it inside out and then sealing it. Full operational guidance will follow next week.
We are also reminding colleagues to wash their hands before, during and after their rounds, in line with guidance we have already issued.
this is playing russian roulette now who will be the idiot who collects this without ppe its a public health risk in the making

And guess what? The Chief Medical Officer is infected too !!

Deadly · Post by **Deadly** » 28 Mar 2020, 10:53

If it's so safe to collect these tests then why do we have to handle them via a plastic bag?

sheepy19 · Post by **sheepy19** » 28 Mar 2020, 12:29

Does anyone know where these High Priority postboxes are? Are they just the ones that aren't collection on delivery.

I'm not happy to be handling them (have hi risk wife) but at the same time its keeping us getting paid and giving us something to warrant being a key worker.

Someone with the virus could be hand posting letters into the box every day so for all we know there's no more risk than any other item.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 28 Mar 2020, 13:17

sheepy19 wrote:Does anyone know where these High Priority postboxes are? Are they just the ones that aren't collection on delivery.

I'm not happy to be handling them (have hi risk wife) but at the same time its keeping us getting paid and giving us something to warrant being a key worker.

Someone with the virus could be hand posting letters into the box every day so for all we know there's no more risk than any other item.

Probably no higher risk than the medical sample packets that normally go through the system

gand · Post by **gand** » 28 Mar 2020, 15:17

Will we be told when or where we pick these up or what they look like? Because i do not wish to handle them.