Coronavirus (COVID-19): information and support
Please note: While care has been taken to ensure the quality of links listed in this section, the RCSLT is unable to review all resources in detail. If using these resources, please apply your own critical appraisal.
UK Government advice
- GOV.UK COVID-19 guidance including:
- Guidance for supported living services
- Guidance for providing home care
- Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance for NHS teams
- RCSLT statement on the Coronavirus Bill, March 2020 (PDF)
- National Cyber Security Centre – Guidance for cyber security while working at home
Country and regional specific information
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
British Islands
England
- Winter planning: Support to children, young people and their families – Letter sent to Chief AHPs outlining the importance of the continued focus on children and young people services, while acknowledging the requirements around delivering vital services in our NHS in the wake of winter and the challenge of rising COVID-19 cases. Download the letter (PDF)
NHS information and advice
Join the NHS workforce
General advice
Guidance and clinical information
- Operational guidance: vaccination of frontline health and social care workers – 7 January 2021
- Clinical guide for the management of stroke patients during the coronavirus pandemic – 23 March 2020
- How to work safely in care homes
- Letter from NHS executives outlining next steps on the NHS response to COVID-19 (PDF) – 17 March 2020
- Letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement: Supporting AHPs and AHP support workers – 19 March 2020
- Nasogastric Tube Insertion Procedure (Word)
- NHS Health Education England: Relevant resources for AHPs
- NHS Inform: Easy read advice and guidance on COVID-19
- On demand remote BSL Interpreting Service for UK’s deaf community
- NHS England: Speciality guides
- NHS England: Guidance for community health services
- Supporting our most vulnerable people
- Winter planning: Support to children, young people and their families – Download the letter sent to chief AHPs (PDF) (nb this applies to England only)
Health and care professions council
Other organisations
Advice for students
- Allied health professions student support guidance during COVID-19 outbreak (PDF) – Published April 2020
- Joint statement on supporting and enabling the student allied health professional workforce to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak (PDF) – Published April 2020
Public Health England
- COVID-19: guidance for first responders
- Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 in Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups (PDF) – Published August 2020
- Mouth care for patients with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19
World Health Organization
- Preventing COVID-19 in your workplace or while teleworking (Video)
- World Health Organization COVID-19 hub
UNITE union
Intensive Care Society
- Tracheostomy care guidance
- Intensive Care Society PICUPS data collection and rehabilitation prescription (PDF)
- Intensive Care Society PICUPS tool (PDF) – A brief functional screening tool to inform the rehabilitation needs after treatment in Intensive Care Settings
- Responding to COVID-19 and beyond – a framework for early rehabilitation needs following treatment in intensive care (updated November 2020)
Information Commissioner’s Office
The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine
- Rehabilitation in the wake of COVID-19 (PDF) – Published April 2020
International Communication Project
British Psychological Society
Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People
Learning resources
e-learning for healthcare
- The London Transformation and Learning Collaborative critical care programme is accessible for anyone with an NHS email.
NHS Learning Hub
The NHS Learning Hub is a digital platform for health and care workers to share and access a variety of learning resources. You will need to be signed in to the Learning Hub to access these resources.
COVID-19 resources for educators supporting return to practice:
- #ReStartSim – technical how to guide Microsoft Teams Virtual Hospital
- #ReStartSim – technical how to guide – virtual simulation using PowerPoint
- Training resources for trainers using Microsoft Teams to deliver remote teaching days (online learning solution)
- COVID-19 simulation resources
- Simulation of the intubation plan for COVID-19 patients
- WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) training: simulation exercise
Resources to support communication skills:
- Communication tips for clinicians care for older adults experiencing delirium during COVID-19
- Communication skills (CUSS) – short video on using graded assertiveness to communicate concerns in a busy environment such as intensive care.
- Communication skills (SBAR) – short video on the use of the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation communication tool.
- How to break unwelcome news – materials to support staff through difficult conversations.
Resources for service users
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity has produced a daily schedule to help keep a routine at home with children and young people when absent from school
Autism
The National Autistic Society has developed a coronavirus hub which includes resources and tips for autistic people and families, as well as information on benefits and employment, wellbeing, social care, education and supermarkets.
Autistica has set up a coronavirus page which includes tips for coping with uncertainty and managing mental health, and advice on making the most of a remote health appointments.
Brain injury
Headway has shared tips for coping with self-isolation for brain injury survivors. They continue to offer a helpline for anyone who requires support or information about brain injury, and an online forum.
Cancer
Macmillan Cancer Support has produced a COVID-19 hub with a wealth of information for people living with cancer.
The Wales Cancer Alliance has collated sources of help and information for people living with cancer in Wales.
Children in care and care leavers
Becomehas published a coronavirus advice page for care-experienced young people. The page includes frequently asked questions, tips on staying calm, and information about weekly online link-ups, including quizzes, games, debates and virtual ‘hangouts’.
Who Cares? Scotland is providing a helpline for care experienced young people who are worried about coronavirus, offering advice and information, and with practical support where possible.
Children and young people
The Children’s Commissioner for England has produced a guide which aims to answer children’s questions about coronavirus, tell children how to stay safe and protect other people and how to help them make the best of their time at home.
Dementia
Alzheimer’s Society has published coronavirus advice for people affected by dementia. They continue to offer the Dementia Connect support line and online community
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
NOFAS-UK has produced a guide for people with FASD on what they can do about coronavirus, and a stay-at-home guide with fun things to do for children with FASD.
Learning disability
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has a COVID-19 page which brings together information, resources and videos for the families of people with severe learning disabilities. Resources include information sheets on going into hospital, temperature taking and activity ideas.
Learning Disability Wales has a dedicated coronavirus page which includes easy read versions resources from Welsh Government and Public Health Wales. There is also information on keeping occupied, mental health and bereavement.
Council for Intellectual Disability (Australia): Staying safe from Coronavirus
Royal College of Nursing (RCN): COVID-19: Advice for you and your client
Motor Neurone Disease
The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) has produced a coronavirus hub which includes answers to common questions about coronavirus and how to get support when staying at home for people living with motor neurone disease. The hub also includes ‘Ask the expert’ videos.
Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s UK has published a webpage – Understanding coronavirus and Parkinson’s – which gathers facts and guidance to help answer some of the most common questions about coronavirus and Parkinson’s.
Stammering
Stamma (The British Stammering Association) has launched an outreach service for people who stammer who may be feeling isolated at the moment. They also continue to offer a helpline and links to online groups to help people stay connected.
Stroke and aphasia
The Stroke Association has produced information on coronavirus for stroke survivors in conjunction with NHS England. The webpage includes a number of easy read resources on subjects including staying at home, shielding and wellbeing.
The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia’s Aphasia Software Finder can help people with aphasia find apps and software that may be useful to them.
Vaccine information
Celebrities including Romesh Ranganathan, Meera Syal, Konnie Huq and Moeen Ali have come together in a video urging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The video was co-ordinated by Adil Ray, creator of BBC1’s Citizen Khan, who has said he wanted to dispel vaccination myths for those from British Asian, Black and minority ethnic communities.
Videos
The speech, voice and swallowing team at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has produced two videos to support patients with swallowing and voice problems following COVID-19. They highlight problems to look out for after COVID-19 and methods of self-help. The videos also highlight the important role SLTs have in the rehabilitation of patients.
Videos were created in consultation with experts from the RCSLT, the British Voice Association and the British Laryngological Association, and were kindly filmed and edited by John Nicolson of the BBC and his team.
Swallowing problems after COVID-19
Problems with eating, drinking and swallowing, known as dysphagia, can happen to people recovering from COVID-19. This video shows how to spot signs of dysphagia and what to do, including practising good mouth care and exercises to improve lip and tongue strength. (July 2020)
Voice problems after COVID-19
We are finding that some people recovering from COVID-19 are experiencing problems with voice. This video gives some simple and practical advice about how to look after your voice and reduce irritation following COVID-19. (July 2020)