Visits have been suspended for two weeks at Nottingham Hospitals because of Covid concerns.
The trust said:
‘Regrettably we have to suspend routine visiting from Saturday 1 January for two weeks in order to keep patients and staff as safe as possible during the pandemic as the number of Covid-19 positive patients’ increases across our community and in our hospitals.’
See below for all available information:
Visiting will continue to be allowed if:
- a patient needs assistance with their communication or to meet their health, emotional, religious or spiritual care needs
- they are there to support through antenatal and scan attendances, induction of labour, during labour, as well as in the postnatal period
- they are a parent/ guardian or familiar carer/ supporter/ personal assistant
- a patient is critically ill or receiving end of life care.
If you are visiting your loved one in order to keep our patients as safe as possible we ask our visitors to take a lateral flow test (LFT) on the day of their visit. You are likely to be asked for the result, and you may be asked for proof.
- Please contact the ward to discuss arrangements, you will find the contact numbers here.
If you are unwell with any of the following symptoms; a fever; a new continuous cough; a loss or change to sense of smell and taste; a new onset of increased tiredness/fatigue; a sore throat; a headache; aches and pains; diarrhoea; a rash on skin or discolouration of fingers or toes; red or irritated eyes or have a positive Covid-19 test please do not attend our hospitals.
You can get LFTs for free through the government website (https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests) or from most pharmacies.
What we ask of you when you visit
- Please go directly to the area you are visiting and avoid going to other areas of the hospital before your visit
- Please refrain from using the shops and restaurants to avoid mixing with many people
- Please use the nearest entrance to get to the ward you are visiting. See our campus maps here
- Please keep two metres from others, adhere to the lift capacity displayed and keep left in our corridors
- Please wear a surgical face mask in our hospitals, in some areas we may talk to you about enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE). If you have a medical exemption and are unable to wear a face mask please talk to a member of staff as you may be offered a visor. Please consider whether your medical exemption makes you more vulnerable to infection, we have digital options for keeping in touch below
- Please wash your hands on arrival at the hospital and throughout your visit or use the hand sanitiser provided
- Please bring as few personal belongings as possible with you
- A visitor to our adult wards does not need to be the same throughout a patient’s stay. We ask the next of kin to be responsible for co-ordinating who attends for a visit.
We know that this is a very difficult time for you and your loved one and we will do everything we can to facilitate virtual visiting during this suspended face to face visiting period.
Our Children’s Hospital and Neonatal Units
For patients of our Children’s Hospital:
- One parent/guardian/carer may visit or be resident with a child at any one time.
- Parent/guardian/carer may change at any point throughout the admission, however we request only one parent/guardian/carer to be resident on the ward at any one time.
- There are certain circumstances where a second parent/guardian/carer can visit for an agreed period of time. This must be agreed in advance with the Ward Manager or Matron.
For Neonatal Unit patients:
- Both parents guardians / carers can visit together.
- Parents/carers of a baby on the Neonatal Unit are welcome to visit at any time.
- No other visitors including siblings are currently allowed on the Neonatal Units.
- As a way of staying safe and to reduce the risk of spreading infection, all parents/carers visiting our Neonatal Units will be required to take a Covid (PCR) swab twice weekly throughout your baby’s stay on the unit. This will allow us to continue supporting parents/carers in being able safely participate in your baby’s care together whilst on the unit.
- Children’s Hospital Vistor’s code
- Neonatal Unit Visitor’s code
Maternity and Antenatal
Please see the following documents with detailed information about visiting arrangements within our maternity service, including information for partners and our FAQs:
- Maternity Vistitor’s Code (Update 12 August 2021)
- Maternity Visiting web page (including FAQs, Covid-19 testing and what to expect when coming into hospital for appointments and scans
To help keep Covid-19 out of our hospitals we are requesting that both the person who is pregnant and the partner/supporter take a lateral flow test – including for attending scan and clinic appointments and visiting. Lateral flow testing kits are available in the community and can be used by anybody in their own home twice a week. It is important that you record your results. You can get lateral flow testing kits through the following links:
Once you have recorded your result online, this will generate an email and a text message confirmation of the result. All support partners will be asked to undertake their own lateral flow test in the community and show evidence of this on the admission day.
Emergency Department
When coming to our Emergency Department (ED), we ask that patients attend on their own wherever possible.
The following patients may be able to be accompanied when in the Emergency Department:
- Patients with a learning disability
- Patients at the end of life
- Patients with dementia
- Maternity patients
- Children
- Patients who require assistance to meet their communication and/or health, emotional, religious or spiritual care needs – this will be assessed on an individual basis by a Senior Nurse upon arrival.
Please note that in most cases only one parent may accompany a child. This must be the same parent throughout the child’s stay. We will make every effort to ensure that you are kept informed about your relative’s or friend’s progress during their stay.
Keeping in touch
We know that it’s important for our patients to see family and friends. If face to face visiting is not able to take place, we will work with patients to facilitate video calls where possible.
Find out more on our Keeping in Touch page by clicking the link below.
www.nuh.nhs.uk/keeping-in-touch
- Virtual visiting: We recognise the importance of relatives and patients being able to communicate, especially during these challenging times. The options for virtual visiting, remains the same. Please contact the ward to arrange your virtual visit.
- Message to a loved one: You can send a message to the following email address: messagesforlovedones@nuh.nhs.uk. We can print your message and deliver it to you loved one.
If you need advice or if are concerned about any aspect of care or treatment, speak to a member of staff or contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): Free phone 0800 183 0204 or E-mail pals@nuh.nhs.uk
Please remain calm and respectful with our staff who are being asked to maintain regulations around visiting for everyone’s safety. Abuse of our staff will not be tolerated
We would like to thank our patients, families and local communities for their patience during this exceptionally challenging time.
