Bulletin: November 2020 UPDATE
UPDATE: Government Guidance re working during the current Lock-down
Following our understanding as stated within the previous GHR News E-bulletin of 6th November ’20 (see https://general-hypnotherapy-register.com/news/bulletin-november-2020/) that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) would shortly provide further advice with regard to which businesses may stay open and which may not, we have included below the relevant extracts from that recent DHSC statement in relation to the new Covid-19 guidance that might be considered of interest to hypnotherapy practitioners.
Personal care services provided for medical and health treatment may continue.
Where applicable, practitioners should also take into account any guidance issued by the healthcare regulators or a relevant professional body.
The Government cannot provide comments on individual cases of whether or not a business is permitted to open. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business required to close having considered the Regulations and guidance on business closures https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/closing-certain-businesses-and-venues-in-england#businesses-permitted-to-remain-open
We have to observe that the above statement “The Government cannot provide comments on individual cases of whether or not a business is permitted to open. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business required to close having considered the Regulations and guidance on business closures” is not especially helpful at all and appears to leave us in exactly the same position as stated within our previous E-bulletin, that we have been virtually left to ourselves to determine what work may legally be carried out and under what conditions.
The above notwithstanding, on the assumption that GHR Practitioners in England meet the definition of “other…health services, including services relating to mental health” contained in Section 47, Part 3 (pages 32/32) of the Schedule to The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 we can only presume that they may continue to practise in England during the national lockdown that came into effect on 5 November.
Somewhat more detailed Government guidance on when you can treat clients while staying within the remit of providing “other…health services, including services relating to mental health” states:
Practitioners can continue to provide the therapies they are registered for, on a one-to-one basis to clients, for an identified mental or physical health condition or injury that is causing them pain, or having an adverse impact on their mobility or their quality of life. You must be able to evidence that your therapeutic intervention is supporting your client with their condition. You can do this by recording their health condition and giving a clear rationale in your client’s care record for the treatment that you are providing.
You cannot provide treatment to a client in their own home unless you have received a direct referral from a statutory regulated health professional.
If your practice is based in your own home you can continue to work from there as long as it is COVID-secure.
We shall of course endeavour to keep Registrants briefed on any further Government guidance as and when it is made available.
Whereas the above relates to England, practitioners in Scotland will no doubt be aware that the Scottish Government has introduced a new system of local protection levels
You can find additional guidance issued by the Scottish Government here, which includes specific guidance on mobile working.
You can check the protection level for your area and find out what you can and cannot do under each level here.
You can also use this postcode checker to find out which level of protection applies to your area.
Protection levels may change and we advise that you check the Scottish Government website on a regular basis to keep up to date. It is each Registrant’s responsibility to make sure they are aware of, and comply with, the local restrictions that apply to them.
N.B. We cannot currently advise on the situation in the devolved regions of Wales and Northern Ireland but, again, will endeavour to keep all UK regions informed as and when further Government advice is made available.
IMPORTANT: As we cannot advise on insurance matters, if you have not already done so we recommend that you contact your insurance provider to determine whether your policy remains valid for working during this period.
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The Administration Team
Views expressed within the above material and any conclusions reached are those of the author
and not necessarily shared by the GHR or the GHSC
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