New hospital visiting guidance during the coronavirus outbreak: effective from 30 November 2020
General visiting requirements
CTM is aware that visitors are essential to the well-being of our patients and wherever we can we will support you to be with your loved one. We are committed to avoiding the spread of the virus within our hospitals and keeping our patients, families and staff as safe as possible. We understand how difficult our visiting restrictions may be but please support us to minimise the impact of the virus and keep people safe together. We will provide regular updates as the situation changes.
We want to ensure the continued health and safety of patients, visitors, those who use our services and our staff during this time. New guidance has been issued to our Health Board from Welsh Government to facilitate safe visiting at healthcare facilities during the pandemic.
Importantly, due to significant differences in community transmission across Wales, Health Boards are able to enhance or ease visiting restrictions in line with the prevalence of the virus within its communities and hospital sites.
Please consider if your visit has a clear purpose and is in the best interests of the patient – you are welcome to organise a ‘virtual visit’ with your loved one via our hospital devices. Please contact the ward to arrange.
Latest visiting guidance:
- Visiting will need to be pre-booked with wards in advance to ensure social distancing measures and restrictions are adhered to. All face to face visits are subject to the approval from the clinician/nurse in charge and arrangements may differ in different departments. Please check arrangements first or you will be turned away.
- Visitors will need to adhere to social distancing (2 meters apart) as well as hand hygiene and infection control precautions on arriving and leaving the ward/department. In order to comply with social distancing, it remains necessary to continue restrict the number of visitors.
- When agreed with the health professional in charge of the ward or department, visiting can be permitted as follows: as long as visitors do not have symptoms of Covid-19; they have recovered from Covid-19 and have not knowingly been exposed to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days. This is very important to prevent spread into the hospital.
- The wearing of a face mask is required for all those over the age of 11 years unless there is a health related reason for not wearing one (you will be required to present evidence of this). Those who were previously shielding for health reasons are strongly discouraged from visiting, if visiting is agreed a medical mask must is advised.
- As far as possible visiting will be permitted outside the ward area, please contact the ward for more information.
- Some of our patients require essential support assistants for specific additional support, such as a support worker or interpreter. Essential support assistants will not to be classed as visitors. In some circumstances, where people receive care and support from a family member or partner they may nominate this person as their essential support assistant.
- We would recommend that anyone attending any outpatient appointment or A&E attendance at our sites comes alone, however we recognise that essential support assistants for specific additional needs such as a support worker or interpreter will be required. This may be in addition to a family member of traditional visitor accompanying the patient. All visitors would be subject to the above infection control considerations and any appointment letter will specify the particular visiting requirements of the department.
Within non-COVID-19 areas and services:
- One parent/carer at the bedside at a time for paediatric inpatients and neonates
- Any children may visit a parent/carer or sibling, but must be accompanied by one appropriate adult. Please be mindful that small children will be unable to effectively observe social distancing or hand hygiene requirements.
- An essential support assistant and a birthing partner for women in labour, preferably from the same household or part of an extended household*.
- In general, one visitor at a time for a patient with mental health needs, learning disability, cognitive impairment and/or specific care and well-being needs whom would benefit from support as agreed with the ward manager. The number and frequency of visitors should be considered on an individual basis in light of the patient’s/service user’s needs, care plan and in consultation with their support staff or essential support assistant.
- Patients who are in the last days of their life – there can be up to two visitors at a time, for a specified amount of time, from the same household or part of an extended household. If not from an extended household visits to the bedside should be separate and social distancing maintained outside the clinical area.
- People with long term conditions which necessitate increased length of stay in a healthcare setting or people with specific care and well-being needs that the visitor/carer actively contributes to and to support rehabilitation. The health and well-being of these patients would be benefited by seeing appropriate visitors. This should be documented in their care plan.
- All permitted visitors must adhere to hand hygiene and infection control precautions on arriving and leaving the area.
Within COVID-19 confirmed and possible infectious areas (assessment areas):
- Visitors must be aware of the risks of covid transmission and advised of infection control measures in place including the use of any PPE required during their visit
- End of life COVID-19 patients may receive visitors during their last days of life, if permission is sought in advance from the ward manager. This may be up to two visitors, one at the bedside at a time, for a specified amount of time, preferably from the same household or part of an extended household.
- Visitors with underlying health conditions or who were previously shielding should be advised of the significant risks to themselves.
- All permitted visitors must adhere to hand hygiene and infection control precautions on arriving and leaving the area.
*Extended households are where two separate households have joined together and have the same freedoms as people living in individual households such as meeting indoors and close physical contact.
Maternity
CTMUHB understands that partners are essential to the well-being of our women and babies and wherever we can we will support you to be with your loved one. We appreciate how difficult these restrictions may be but please support us to keep everyone safe and minimise the spread of COVID-19.
- Partners can attend 12 week and 20 week scans
- Other scans (serial growth scans, baby wellbeing) partners will only be able to attend in exceptional circumstances and by prior arrangement.
- A birthing partner (preferably from the same household or extended household) can attend with women who are in active labour as well as essential support assistants. Partners can stay following the birth until mum and baby are fit to be discharged home, or mum and baby are transferred to the postnatal ward.
- For other hospital appointments, women will need to attend without partners unless in exceptional circumstances and by prior arrangement with the department.
