Designed in collaboration with occupational medicine consultant Dr. Robert Hardman, the Covid-19 risk assessment tool from Rainbird delivers automated one-to-one reports that aim to improve workforce management within NHS trusts.
Redacted reports based on consultations with workers are sent to line managers and HR, while occupational health departments are sent more detailed reports.
This information can then be used to determine whether workers should be cleared to work, be referred for a health assessment, or be shielded.
As well as taking into account the impact of the virus on BAME groups, the tool can evaluate a range of contributing factors, including age, health history, disabilities, and cultural and religious beliefs.
“Our tool is very quick and safe to update as more is learnt about Covid and the risk model changes – workers can, and should, come back and be re-assessed regularly as their circumstances evolve,” said James Duez, CEO of Rainbird.
“Not only does it provide each organisation with a clear, bird’s-eye view of who is suited to work in which environment, it allows staff to benefit from a full consultation instantly, significantly reducing their individual risk.
“The tool takes into account multiple levels of highly personal and variable information, something as detailed as to the type of inhaler you use and when you last needed it. This allows for a specific, tailored assessment, something which would require huge resources to replicate, at a time when staff are at maximum capacity.”
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The new tool for frontline NHS staff is sure to provide added clarity at a time where no national standard for occupational risk assessments is currently in place.
The Royal College of Physicians recently declared that risk assessments are a priority for the safety of NHS staff, while Public Health England has called for the development of “culturally competent” risk assessment tools, particularly for key workers.
Rainbird’s new risk assessment tool has been deployed by multiple NHS trusts, including Norwich and Norfolk University Hospitals Foundation Trust (NNUH) and Royal Papworth in Cambridge.
Dr Robert Hardman, consultant in occupational medicine at NNUH’s Workplace Health and Wellbeing, commented: “In supporting staff to return safely to the workplace employers face a number of challenges. Accessing evidence-based decision making tools to rapidly identity those who will benefit from an independent risk assessment will be critical.
“Many staff will need signposting to the right advice but knowing who to refer to occupational health to get that further advice will be key to ensuring they have confidence in any return to work process. Using an accredited provider of Occupational Health Services would be one such approach.”
