Temporary accommodation for healthcare workers during COVID-19

Temporary accommodation scheme for healthcare workers affected by COVID-19 has been put in place.

Healthcare workers that can get temporary accommodation

All healthcare workers can apply for temporary accommodation.

This includes staff in:

• HSE
• community healthcare
• Section 38 and 39 organisations including voluntary hospital staff
• National Ambulance Service
• private nursing homes
• long-term disability and mental health residential facilities
• Tusla
• Private hospitals
• GP practices who are providing services to the long term residential care service
• long-term disability and mental health residential facilities
• Home support and personal assistant staff (this includes staff directly employed and employed through voluntary private providers. This applies to Older Persons Services, Disability Service and Mental Health Services).

A nominated staff accommodation lead will manage referrals received from the following areas:

• Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs)
• Hospital Groups
• National Ambulance Service (NAS)
• Private nursing homes
• Tusla staff
• Staff in private hospitals
• Agency staff who have been contracted by the HSE for a period of one month or more
• GP practice staff who are providing services to the long term residential care service

Temporary accommodation should be booked in short term weekly or bi-weekly cycles, where possible. Under no circumstances should bookings be made for periods of over 30 days at a time.

This temporary accommodation service is available to healthcare workers only. No accommodation is provided for immediate or extended family members.

Healthcare workers eligible to apply for temporary accommodation

As a healthcare worker, you can apply for temporary accommodation if you:

• live with family members that are self-isolating and you cannot return home
• live with vulnerable persons
• require emergency accommodation due to urgent response or mitigating factors
• require accommodation in order to facilitate rosters
• share accommodation where you are at an increased risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 (this does not include couples or co-habiting family members who normally live together)
• healthcare workers returning from overseas who are contracted to work and require temporary accommodation (following the required period of self-isolation).
• live in congregated domestic living arrangements, for example, a hostel, a direct provision centre

Short and longer-term accommodation may be made available, depending on your needs. This will be decided by your manager.

Healthcare workers living with a group of people

If you live with a group of people you should consider your eligibility to move to alternative temporary accommodation.

This will help you to:

• reduce interactions with people outside the workplace and the home
• avoid communal sleeping areas
• avoid crowded areas
• avoid spending more than 15 minutes in close contact with other people
• prevent spread in long-term residential settings and the community

Getting alternative temporary accommodation

Where possible, accommodation will be located as close as possible to your place of work. Where transport is required, local arrangements may be made and managed at Area Crisis Management Team (ACMT) level.

Process for getting accommodation

Submit a temporary accommodation referral form to your line manager.

Your manager will review the request and make the necessary arrangements.

Your manager will let you know if your request is approved and book your accommodation.

You must inform your manager as soon as possible if you wish to cancel the accommodation booking.

Discuss any queries you have about the accommodation with your manager.

To protect yourself and others from COVID-19, you should:

• limit the amount of contact with accommodation staff and other residents
• limit interaction with staff from different clinical settings and, where possible, not mix with staff from other clinical care systems
• practice physical distancing (minimum 2 metres)
• wear a face covering on public transport and in shops and shopping centres (mandatory) and where it is difficult to maintain a distance of 2 metres.
• stay in your room as much as reasonably practicable
• comply fully with local uniform policies
• minimise time in communal areas to reduce the risk of infection to colleagues
• when in lifts try and limit to 1 or 2 people at a time, or to use the stairs if appropriate
• eat in your room where possible - if meals are provided with the accommodation, sit at tables at least 2 metres apart
• place all rubbish in waste in bins provided
• clean hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol gel
• do not allow visitors into your accommodation

See the Health Protection Surveillance Centre website for guidance on Covid-19 and infection prevention and control advice for staff.

Contacts for CHO regions, Hospital Groups and National Ambulance Service

Find your CHO region/ Hospital Group here