By Hospital visiting suspended due to Covid
Visiting is being suspended at Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospitals in the wake of the escalating Covid crisis.
“Due to the increasing prevalence of Covid-19 within the community and our hospitals, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) has suspended visiting in its hospitals,” said a spokesperson.
The trust said: “It is with a heavy heart we are once again suspending visiting in our hospitals.
“We have decided, due to the increasing prevalence of Covid-19 within our community and our hospitals, to pause the appointment-based visiting system that was being trialled across some adult wards.
“Over the last few weeks, enabling visits from loved ones has had a very positive impact on both patients, families and our workforce. However, in line with the national lockdown and increase in positive cases, we must do this for the safety of our patients and staff.”
From Thursday, visiting will not be allowed on any ward or department unless it is to see someone at the end of their life (End of Life care) to ensure a loved one can be present, or for those considered as vulnerable due to admission-related anxiety, communication difficulties, learning disabilities or dementia.
This will be at the discretion of the nurse in charge and families can request support from the ward staff and the Patient Experience team by emailing nlg-tr.patientexperience@nhs.net to facilitate this.
Due to reduced visiting the hospitals are experiencing high numbers of calls to the wards and ask that families support staff by appointing one family member to contact them and then share the information with others.
Visiting for maternity services has also changed.
Birth partners will be welcome to be present during labour and birth and will be able to stay in the birthing room after the birth until such time as the woman is settled. It is anticipated this will be no longer than six hours.
During the antenatal and postnatal period, an appointment system will be put in place for the named birth partner from Thursday. Appointments will be available for visiting between 12pm and 2pm, 3pm and 5pm and 6pm and 8pm.
These will be arranged by the midwife on the day, following telephone screening of partners. This change has been necessary to ensure safety and social distancing in the pre and post-natal areas.
Ultrasound scans remain unchanged with one person allowed to accompany the woman for the 20-week (anomaly) scan.
Contact details of birth partners will be taken in case of the need to track and trace.
Before being allowed to visit a risk assessment will be carried out and visiting will not be permitted in the following circumstances:
• Anybody who has had a positive COVID-19 swab in the last two weeks
• Anyone who is isolating as a contact of someone who is COVID-19 positive
• Anyone who has been contacted by Test and Trace to say they are a contact of a COVID-19 positive patient
• Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19
• Anyone who is shielding due to anticipated surgery
• If any local or national lockdown restrictions are in place that do not support patient visiting.
The trust said it would continue to review visiting.
