Changes to visiting due to coronavirus (also known as COVID-19)
Our visiting policy changed in August 2021
Although there has been an easing of restrictions in some settings, official government advice is that COVID-19 safety measures do not change for healthcare settings.
We have a number of measures to help people to ‘stay safe and keep apart’ when they are at our hospital and community centres. These restrictions are in place to keep you your family and our staff safe safe and our services open. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to prevent the risk of COVID-19 together.
The purpose of this visiting policy is to reduce the number of people at our sites.
Community visiting policy
- One parent or carer may attend appointments with a child.
- If you or your child have confirmed COVID-19 or have been asked to self-isolate, do not attend the appointment.
- Anyone visiting a community site that appears unwell with symptoms of COVID-19 (a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) will be asked to show a negative PCR test result before being allowed to enter the building. A rapid test (lateral flow test) will not be accepted as this is designed to be used for those without symptoms. PCR tests can be booked locally via the NHS or government websites.
- We encourage all visitors without symptoms to consider taking a rapid test (lateral flow test) before appointments to reduce the risk of unknowingly carrying the virus into a community site.
Hospital visiting policy
- One parent or carer is allowed to be with a child in the hospital whether they are staying overnight or visiting for an appointment.
- For children who need to stay overnight, each child will have a named parent or carer on our system.
For those staying longer than one night:
- A maximum of two named parents or carers can be added to the system but may only be with their child one at a time.
- A rapid test (lateral flow test) will be conducted by the nursing team each time the parent or carer with their child changes over. The team caring a child will discuss how to do this as well as expectations for you to do regular testing.
- If the parent or carer is changing, they must swap over outside the hospital.
There are specialist visiting policies where children are receiving intensive care, which will be explained by the team. We also have a process in place to allow rare exceptions to the policy, but ask for your understanding that there will be very few exceptions.
Our visiting policy is regularly reviewed by our medical experts to ensure we are doing the best to help children and their families to stay safe, especially those vulnerable to infection. Although this has meant some difficult decisions, it has worked well and helped to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19.
See all our latest information about COVID-19.
There have also been some recent changes to our entrance.
Visiting our hospital and community centres
We have developed a leaflet to help prevent the spread of infection (PDF 593Kb). Wording from this leaflet is also available below.
Our visiting policy during Coronavirus (also known as COVID-19)
This leaflet explains what is expected of parents/carers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Following these guidelines will help us minimise risk of infection to you, your child and our staff.
- We are currently restricting visitors to the hospital and our community sites.
- For appointments, only one parent or carer should accompany a child.
- For overnight stays, only one parent or carer may visit.
- Brothers, sisters, and other family members and friends will not be allowed to visit. We ask that they do not come to the hospital or community site. This will help us to minimise the number of people onsite, to keep you and your family safe. Any changes to visiting for an individual family, is assessed on a case-by-case basis and will only change in exceptional circumstances. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to keep our hospital safe.
Before visiting
- If you are in a high risk group for COVID-19 please do not visit the hospital. Call the nursing staff.
- If have confirmed COVID-19 or have been asked to self-isolate do not visit the hospital.
- If you become unwell, phone the ward and do not visit the hospital.
- Please follow NHS guidance and self-isolate if you have any COVID-19 symptoms (new onset persistent cough, fever or loss of sense of smell/taste) and book an appointment for a test locally.
While visiting
- Please keep your child’s room or bed area tidy and free from clutter to help us to thoroughly clean the area.
- Make sure you answer the daily screening questions about your health.
- Restrict your movement on the ward and limit the number of times you enter and exit.
- Keep a two metre distance between you and others, as much as possible.
- When you enter the hospital you will be given a facemask to be worn at all times. You must change your facemask and wash your hands every time you leave and enter the hospital. If you need to change your facemask, please ask the nurse looking after your child to show you where the masks are kept or you can take a fresh mask from the personal protective equipment (PPE) trolley at the entrance of each ward.
- Do not touch the outside of the mask, and clean your hands frequently.
- If your child has suspected or confirmed COVID-19, you will be expected to wear PPE as directed by the nursing staff.
When to wash your hands
- Clean your hands when you enter the ward, before caring for your child, and if you remove or change any PPE you have been asked to wear.
- Wash your hands before meals or feeding your child, after visiting the toilet, and after changing your child’s nappy or helping them use the toilet or bed pan.
- You can clean your hands with the hand sanitiser or wash your hands using soap and water.