Message from the Health Board
We welcome support from family and friends in hospital; we know that this is a vital support to patients, not least with nutrition, healing, recovery and overall quality of care. However, we need to make sure our patients, families and staff are as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, so visiting needs to continue to be carefully managed.
More detailed information about current visiting arrangements is available on our website.
This is to remind people of specific aspects of the guidance, namely:
- The current requirement that named visitors do not change frequently
- The option to take Lateral Flow Tests prior to hospital visits
- The current requirements to follow FACTs guidance during hospital visits.
Can the people chosen to visit be changed?
The people providing support can be changed if required. Examples of when this may happen include:
- If a person needs support from a different person for a variety of reasons, or
- If the person who has been providing support becomes unwell, needs a rest or is unable to visit for some other reason.
Changing the named person multiple times in a day, or daily, would however, not be expected in normal circumstances.
Voluntary Lateral Flow Tests
To help keep everyone safe, we strongly recommend that all visitors have a Voluntary Lateral Flow Test prior to visiting and then undertake these twice per week for as long as you are the named visitor. This is optional. Information on how to order Lateral Flow Tests is on NHS Inform. If you do not wish to have a test or are not able to test this will not be an obstacle to a visit.
When visiting the hospital, you must:
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser when entering and leaving clinical areas
- Wear a face covering/mask at all times, unless you are exempt from this. If you are exempt, please discuss with hospital staff before you visit.
- Respect social distancing measures at all times
- Take the stairs if possible to avoid congregating in lift lobbies and communal areas
- Contact the ward to discuss arrangements before visiting
You MUST NOT visit if you are unwell, if you are a household contact or have been otherwise informed that you are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have been advised to self-isolate or have to self-isolate for another reason (e.g. travel from a country requiring quarantine).
Thank you so much for your cooperation. We look forward to welcoming family members and friends into our hospitals to support patients.
ENDS