New temporary visiting restrictions at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital
Maternity and mental health wards not affected
In response to a significant rise in the number of patients in hospital with COVID-19, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily move some wards at Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) and the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) to essential visiting only from midnight tonight, 16 March. This is to try to limit further spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable hospital patients, those who matter to them, and staff who are caring for them.
The new rules impact nightingale wards and shared accommodation which are open environments where social distancing between family members, patients and staff, and other mitigations against COVID are more difficult to observe.
In all other adult inpatient wards including shared accommodation on every other site, single rooms, mental health, and community and outpatient clinics, people can have support from one visitor at a time.
Women on the maternity pathway can have the support of one birth partner and one additional person throughout all outpatient and scan appointments, labour, birth and in inpatient wards.
We urge everyone visiting someone in hospital to follow the below vital safety measures still in place:
- We ask in the strongest possible way that you have a negative Lateral Flow Test a maximum of 24 hours before your visit – the closer to your visit, the better.
- All visitors must wear a face-mask within the hospital for the duration of your visit in a hospital building, unless exempt. These are available at all hospital entrances.
- Please maintain a 2 metres distance from others where possible.
- Please wash your hands or use hand hygiene gel.
Areas with essential visiting only
- From midnight tonight, Wednesday 16 March, the following wards at the GRI will move to essential visiting only:
| Ward 2 | Ward 10 | Ward 21 | Ward 33 |
| Ward 3 | Ward 11 | Ward 23 | Ward 35 |
| Ward 4 | Ward 12 | Ward 24 | Ward 36 |
| Ward 5 | Ward 15/28 | Ward 26 | Ward 38 |
| Ward 6 | Ward 17/31 | Ward 27 | Ward 39 |
| Ward 7/16 | Ward 18 | Ward 29 | Ward 47a |
| Ward 8 | Ward 19 | Ward 30 | Ward 48 |
| Ward 9 | Ward 20 | Ward 32 | Ward 52 |
- Shared accommodation adult acute inpatient areas in the RAH, for example 4 and 6 bedded rooms (this doesn’t include single room accommodation, mental health wards, or maternity wards).
- Wards where there is an active outbreak of COVID-19. In these wards, visiting will be temporarily restricted to essential visiting only until the situation is resolved.
What is essential visiting?
Our staff will take as flexible, person-centred, and compassionate approach as possible in applying the essential visiting guidance.
The examples of the type of situations where visits will be seen as essential are included below – these examples are illustrative rather than exhaustive:
- A person receiving end-of-life care, to enable them to spend meaningful time with those who matter to them in their final days, weeks or months
- To support someone with a mental health issue, or dementia, or a learning disability or autism, where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed
- Carers – those providing essential care or emotional support, or spiritual care
- To accompany a child in hospital
- In general situations when someone is receiving information about life changing illness or treatments
- In these and other similar situations where support from another person is essential for advocacy and wellbeing.
Family support will be facilitated in any situation where staff assess that it is important to involve family or carers for ethical, safety, or other reasons.
Further information on essential visiting is available here.
What should I do if I wish to visit someone at the RAH or GRI?
Please consider the potential risk a visit may bring to patients, family members and staff, and consider if a virtual visit may be a safer alternative.
Please phone the ward in advance to discuss your specific circumstances. Further updates will be provided as and when the situation changes. Telephone numbers for all wards in NHSGGC can be found here.
What alternative arrangements are in place to keep in touch?
All patients and their family affected by these revisions to visiting will be offered virtual visits to ensure you can see and talk to those people who matter most to you. You can also keep in touch via personal phone calls and contacting the ward. Further information about Person Centred Virtual Visiting is available on our website here.
How long will these revised visiting arrangements be in place?
This will be kept under close review by the Visiting Review Team. They continue to monitor the situation and when it’s safe and appropriate to do so, they will look to ease visiting restrictions as we work towards moving back to full person centred visiting.
Will it be possible to drop off essential personal items?
Yes. Give and Go drop off site will allow people to drop off essentials for patients in affected wards. This will be available from Thursday and will run Monday – Friday 12.00 – 17.00 from inside the main entrance at the GRI and RAH. More information is available on the website.