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COVID-19 position statement: Reducing the risk of postoperative mortality due to COVID-19 in patients undergoing elective surgery

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On 21 August 2020 SIGN and the CMO Clinical Cell published a position statement - Reducing the risk of postoperative mortality due to COVID-19 in patients undergoing elective surgery - to provide NHSScotland with advice on assessment and isolation of adult and paediatric patients prior to all elective surgery. This was updated in February 2021.

On 29 November 2021 this document was superseded by the Elective Surgery Infection Prevention and Control Principles developed by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland. These principles are available an appendix to the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual Winter (21/22) Respiratory Infections in Health and Care Settings Infection Prevention and Control Addendum.

The Winter (2021/2022) Respiratory Infections in Health and Care Settings Infection Prevention and Control Addendum introduced a number of significant changes to infection prevention and control protocols, including:

  • removal of the 3 distinct COVID-19 care pathways (high/red, medium/amber and low/green) to respiratory and non–respiratory pathways
  • a return to Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) and Transmission Based precautions (TBPs) as per National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CHIPCM)
  • an algorithm to support placement of service users within health and care settings
  • respiratory screening questions to include COVID-19 AND other respiratory pathogens
  • ongoing Rapid testing for COVID-19 AND to now include other respiratory pathogens in some settings.