Coronavirus guidance
Strict hospital visiting restrictions are
eased
As the number
of patients with confirmed Covid-19 infections in hospitals in east
Dorset reduces, visiting restrictions have been relaxed at the
Royal Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole hospitals. Click
here for an update to St Mary's Maternity Unit visiting
restrictions.
To prevent the
spread of the illness, visiting had been restricted to all but
essential family members at the discretion of clinical staff, often
for patients receiving end of life care.
Now, some
patients who have tested negative for Covid-19 in hospital may have
one visitor, for no more than one hour per day.
Visitors
must:
- Ring the ward or unit to
check they are allowing visitors and to book their visit before
travelling. This is essential to ensure that social distancing is
maintained on each ward.
- Wear a face covering at all
times in hospital
- Have no Covid-19 symptoms
themselves
- Not be shielding due to an
increased risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
Patients who were shielding at home before being admitted
to hospital may only be visited by members of their household.
Fiona Hoskins,
deputy director of nursing at the Royal Bournemouth and
Christchurch hospitals, said: “It is really encouraging to see far
fewer patients in our hospital who have coronavirus, and to see
some elements of hospital life start to return, for example some
routine services and appointments.
“However, we
must remain vigilant and be mindful that coronavirus has not gone
away.”
Denise
Richards, deputy director of nursing at Poole Hospital, added: “Our
staff continue to work incredibly hard to care for all our patients
in a safe environment and we need the public’s ongoing support to
enable us to carry on doing this.
“All hospital
visitors will need to wear a face covering, and be aware that there
will still be some restrictions due to social distancing measures
which we appreciate can be difficult, but it is essential to slow
the spread of the infection.”
Outpatients restrictions
The
outpatients department is respecting social distancing measures in
waiting areas and consultation rooms, and ask that where practical
only the patient attends the appointments, arriving five minutes
before their scheduled appointment time.
The patient
only will be invited to the consultation room to ensure social
distancing measures are adhered to, and if another person is
required to attend this will need to be agreed in
advance.
Face coverings
All
visitors must wear a face covering at all times when visiting the
hospital.
All visitors
and outpatients must wear a suitable face covering when
visiting.
The Government
is urging the public not to buy medical grade/surgical masks so
they can be saved for frontline health and care workers, and
instead make their own
face coverings at home. The key points are that it should cover
the mouth and nose and be washed regularly.
Face coverings
are not a replacement for social distancing and regular handwashing
which remain the most important actions for the protection against
Covid-19.
Advice for
patients attending an outpatient appointment
In order to protect
patients, staff, and the public, and to adhere to effective social
distancing rules, we are introducing new arrangements for
outpatient appointments.
Read the guidance
here.
Communicating with patients during
COVID-19 outbreak
We recognise how difficult it is to be
asked to stay at home when your relative is in hospital and
appreciate the additional distress this will bring to many
families.
Click here to see how we can support you.
Coronavirus advice
Easy read
guidance
Coronavirus easy read
visitor guidance
Wash your
hands - Easy read guidance
Easy
read: Coronavirus how to stay safe
Easy
read: Coronavirus and health issues
Easy
read: Coronavirus what if you get ill?
If you or anyone in your household has a high
temperature or a new and continuous cough – even if it’s mild:
- Everyone in your household
must stay at home for 14 days and keep away from
others
- Go to NHS.UK to check your
symptoms and follow the specialist medical advice. Only call NHS
111 if you can’t get online or your symptoms worsen.
- Protect older people and
those with existing health conditions by avoiding contact.
- Please DO NOT come to the hospital
We are now in the delay phase of the national coronavirus
(Covid-19) outbreak. This means there is no longer a focus on
geographical areas and community testing has stopped. Instead the
focus is on testing those in high-risk groups with severe
symptoms.
If you have symptoms, however mild, the new guidance is to stay
at home for seven days. Symptoms include a new continuous cough or
temperature of 37.8, and loss of taste or smell.
Please do not come into our hospitals, or visit
your GP, or a pharmacy and if you have an appointment with us,
please call us to cancel. There is no need to contact 111 unless
symptoms worsen, do not resolve after seven days, or you feel you
cannot cope with your symptoms. Please use the online 111 service before
calling if you are able to. Guidance on self-isolating is
available here.
Across our hospitals we are responding to the changing
guidelines and ensuring we are best equipped to care for all our
patients.
Please be reassured your safety is a top priority and any
testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with
strict regulations. This means that suspected cases are kept in
isolation, away from public areas of the hospital and returned home
also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with
suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England
advice to:
- Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough
or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a
sanitiser gel.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after
using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are
not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed
hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.