New patient visiting restrictions during COVID-19 outbreak, as of April 10, 2020
Due to the rapidly changing situation around COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and in line with the Prime Minister’s instructions to ‘stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives’, it has become necessary to temporarily suspend visiting at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
We have not undertaken this lightly and we appreciate that it may cause distress to both patients and their loved ones but we are making every effort to reduce the spread of the virus and minimising the amount of people in the hospital is essential.
We have set up a contact form for you to post a personal message to your loved one on our wards. For further information please visit: https://www.bfwh.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/staying-connected/
To keep our patients and staff safe, visitors are asked to respect the following new arrangements:
Adult Inpatient Care, including Critical Care/Intensive Care
Visits to all inpatient wards, including Critical Care and Intensive Care, are suspended with immediate effect.
Because of the high risk of cross infection there can be no visits to Critical Care and Intensive Care under any circumstances.
On general wards, some visiting may be allowed on compassionate grounds on a case by case basis. For example, to visit patients who are approaching the end of life. These exceptions must be agreed by the nurse in charge of the ward and the nurse in charge of hospital, and will be dependent on the status of Covid-19 infection in the particular area at the time.
Visiting may also be allowed to collect patients who are ready for discharge from hospital.
We recognise the distress that visiting restrictions may cause. We will do all we can to help with other forms of communication between our patients and their families and friends.
Single birthing partner and sole visitor for maternity areas
- Please nominate a single birthing partner or visitor to be with you during your stay – they will have open visiting to the maternity ward, the delivery suite and our birth units.
- No children or young people under the age of 16 should visit.
On entering and leaving the wards, your birthing partner or visitor must wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds.
Children’s Ward
- Only one parent or guardian can visit a child unless there are special circumstances (please discuss with the ward manager).
- No siblings or young people under the age of 16 should visit.
Emergency Department (A&E)
- No adult patients should be accompanied by a visitor, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- One parent or guardian can stay with a patient in the children`s emergency department
The public should not visit any health and care settings, and this applies to all inpatient, diagnostic, outpatient and emergency care areas, if they are:
- unwell, especially if they have a high temperature or a new, persistent cough
- vulnerable as a result of their medication, a chronic illness or they are over 70 years of age.
If they do feel unwell, they can use the NHS 111 online service for the latest advice and guidance.
The latest guidance is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public and the online NHS 111 service can be accessed at https://111.nhs.uk/