Hospital takes steps to ensure patient services are maintained at busy time
Poole Hospital has taken steps to ensure people who really need treatment receive the care they need following a busy period.
Following a very busy period, Poole Hospital is taking precautionary measures to keep patients safe and ensure that people who are really in need of hospital treatment receive the care they need.
The Hospital has admitted a large number of very sick patients recently. As a result, some routine operations are now being postponed so that treatment can be given to urgent cases. Patients whose treatment has been postponed will be contacted in person and their visit to the Hospital will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
In common with many other hospitals at this time of year, Poole has also been affected by the winter sickness bug Norovirus and is therefore putting temporary limits on visitors. We ask that no more than one visitor comes to see a patient at any one time and no children come in as visitors, except in exceptional circumstances agreed with the nurse in charge.
Our dedicated infection control team are working closely with other staff to prevent the spread of infection, but members of the public are asked to help us by staying away from the Hospital if they have had any sickness or diarrhoea symptoms in the last 48 hours, and by observing our hand hygiene guidance if they do come into the Trust.
We would also remind people to only come to A&E in genuine emergencies.
Sue Sutherland, Chief Executive of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Like the rest of the NHS, we have been very busy over the winter months. We plan very carefully for the extra pressure on services that winter brings, and thanks to the hard work of our staff we are coping with that extra pressure.
“However, we have put these extra measures in place to make sure we keep our patients safe and give care to those people who really need us. People in the local community can help us by not visiting the Hospital unless absolutely necessary, and by making sure they wash their hands or use the hand gels at the foot of every bed.”
Date: 15 January 2009