Visiting restrictions eased in our hospitals | Latest news

Visiting restrictions eased in our hospitals

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We have eased visiting restrictions across our hospitals and from Tuesday 4 August, each patient will be allowed one visitor of their choice for one hour per day. There will be no set visiting times and the ward team will operate a booking system to help oversee the total number of visitors in an area. To arrange a visit, friends and relatives are advised to contact the ward to agree a designated time.

Restrictions will remain in place for children and pregnant women, who will be unable to visit adult inpatients. Patients who are particularly vulnerable to infection due to their illness and treatment, or those patients who have been self-isolating in preparation for an operation may not be allowed but this should be discussed with the ward team.

Krishna Kallianpur, Interim Chief Nurse, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult time for inpatients and their friends and families. By easing restrictions to allow one visitor per patient we hope to help patients stay connected with their loved ones while also preventing the spread of infection.

“Our hospitals will look very different to visitors. We’ve introduced lots of new rules to keep everyone safe including one way systems, the wearing of face masks and other infection prevention measures. We welcome the cooperation and support of visitors in limiting the spread of coronavirus. There will be some exemptions, such as when patients are critically ill, if you have any questions about these restrictions please speak to a member of staff on the ward.”

All visitors will need to wear a face mask at all times during their visit. Visitors who are unable to for any reason should inform the ward to establish if there can be specific measures put in place for them.

To help families stay connected the Trust has also introduced a Virtual Visiting Service which enables family members to arrange a video call or have written messages delivered to patients at our hospital. You can find out more about this service here.

When will restrictions be fully lifted?

We need to keep some restrictions in place to prevent further spread of Coronavirus. This approach will allow us to maintain social distancing and reduce the number of people attending the ward at any one time. We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure we support patients to stay connected to thier loved ones while also keeping people safe. 

Who can visit a patient?

Each patient can have one visitor who can visit for up to one hour. The ward team will review each patient on a daily basis to establish whether they wish to have a visitor and who. You should not visit a patient if you are feeling unwell, have symptoms of Coronavirus, or are self-isolating because you’ve been in contact with someone else who has tested positive. Children and pregnant women are also unable to visit.  

How do I arrange a visit?

The ward will manage a booking system to ensure visitors are spread throughout the day. Please call the ward to agree a designated time. You will not be permitted to enter the ward until your allocated time. Please be aware that the wards will endeavour to satisfy patients and family requests when possible but there may be times when they have to limit visiting due to unexpected demands on the ward

I’m unable to visit how will I keep in touch with my friend or relative?

If a family/carer or friend is unable to visit, the ward staff will be proactive and offer to phone them to let them know how the patient is getting on and to pass on messages. The Trust also offers a virtual visiting service to assist you with video calling a patient. If you’d like to arrange this please speak to the ward team or our PALS team.

Keeping safe within the hospital
You must wear a face mask or covering while inside our hospitals. This can be a scarf, a homemade mask or a surgical mask that you bring from home. You can also collect one from the mask stations at each entrance. Please sanitise your hands using the hand gel pumps and follow signs within the hospitals to maintain social distancing. When you are inside the ward, you must stay by the patient’s bedside at all times. If the ward you’re visiting has an outdoor space we will try and facilitate visiting outside if the patient is fit enough. Please make the ward team aware if you’d like to make use of the outside space.  

 

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