Covid-19 helpline (FOI)

Request

A

Please can you provide the exact information followed by the covid helpline for the algorithm used as stated by Dr Ivan Muscat in response to assessing public needs, concerns, queries and requests for Covid-19.

B

What questions are asked by the helpline to determine whether someone is at risk / confirmed as being a carrier for Covid-19?

C

How many people have received follow ups from trained professional medical staff after advice being sought (especially when there are clear symptoms which have been highlighted).

D

What action has occurred / been taken by HCS from people who have been confirmed as being infected / positive from PCR tests.

E

As the government are leading the vaccination process, why has the government (as stated by Dr Ivan Muscat) put pressure on Doctors for decisions on what course of action should occur? For example, if a person has been confirmed as positive for COVID, by testing and reporting to the HCS team what agreement is in place to levy the responsibility on who should be treated for COVID?

F

How many people have contacted the Covid-19 helpline for advice on being confirmed as positive for Covid-19?

G

How many of these have been followed-up by a Medical professional to check on well-being following proof of positive exposure to Covid-19?

H

How many people who have been confirmed as having the virus and suffering from it, have been asked to attend the general hospital for treatment / assessment?

Response

A

There is not a specific algorithm used by the helpline. The helpline and Covid safe teams across Government use information from the Covid response policy team who issue advice on managing the risk of COVID as agreed with Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) and the Acting Medical Officer of Health.  

B

If someone calls the helpline saying they believe they are at risk of having Covid, the helpline ask why they believe they are at risk.

• do you have any symptoms?

• do you believe you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive?

If someone declares any covid symptoms, the helpline asks the individual to describe their symptoms. They will then book a PCR test.

If someone is confirmed as positive, they will receive a call from the Covid Safe team and asked to provide a list of their direct contacts. There is no need for the positive individual to call the helpline.

If someone believes they are at risk of being positive for coronavirus due to being a direct contact of a positive case, the helpline advise that the Covid Safe team will be in contact via a text or email.

C

Information is not held in a format for the purposes of Freedom of Information. To answer the request, the data would need to be extracted from various sources and manipulated, aside from taking more than the prescribed 12.5 hours to do that work, the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 does not require a Scheduled Public Authority to manipulate data to provide a response. Article 16 has therefore been applied.

D

Individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus receive a text message and phone call confirming their result. They are asked to give information regarding their direct contacts to the Covid Safe team, who then arrange PCR tests accordingly.

Action taken by the Covid Safe team can vary according to the individual situation, for example for vulnerable customers or people in challenging situations, there can be more interaction such as wellbeing check phone calls or support from the Connect Me team.

E

If a person who tests positive is feeling unwell, the helpline has nurses who can give initial advice. As with all medical conditions, if that person needs further healthcare advice or support, their own GP is the primary point of contact as they know the medical history of the individual and are there to provide general care for their patients. As with any worsening condition, the ambulance service on 999 are available for emergency support 24 hours a day. There is no different agreement in place for Covid.

F and G

This information is not held. Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

H

People wouldn’t necessarily be 'asked’ to attend hospital. In some cases, a health professional may have recommended hospital or called an ambulance for them, but this information is not held. Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Article applied

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information

(1) Subject to paragraph

(2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive (1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.

Regulation 2 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014 allows an authority to refuse a request for information where the estimated cost of dealing with the request would exceed the specified amount of the cost limit of £500. This is the estimated cost of one person spending 12.5 working hours in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.