Coronavirus: Sheffield hospitals announce changes to visiting times during outbreak

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has announced that visiting hours have changed in an effort to limit the transmission of COVID-19.
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A statement from the trust said: “From tomorrow (17 March) Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the City’s five adult hospitals and all adult community services, is temporarily changing visiting arrangements to help protect patients, staff and visitors from COVID-19.

“The Trust is also asking people to come on their own to outpatient appointments if they don’t need someone to accompany them.”

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Professor Chris Morley, Chief Nurse, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust explained: “We know that it’s important for our patients to see family and friends when they are an in-patient in hospital but we are asking to please consider if your visit is essential to help prevent the spread of infection.

Royal Hallamshire Hospital Royal Hallamshire Hospital
Royal Hallamshire Hospital

“We are asking people who are in-patients to please choose two people to visit who will be the same on each occasion and no one else.

“This way we can keep visiting open but reduce the number of different people coming into our wards and departments. The times of visiting are staying the same at 8am-8pm but we will keep this under review given the fast evolving situation nationally.

“We would also ask visitors to consider perhaps having shorter visits to their friends and family whilst in hospital. We will be helping any visitors who wish to communicate with their relative via an alternative method, such as mobile phone, face time or Skype to do so where possible.

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“We are also asking patients who are attending outpatient appointments to come by themselves unless they need someone with them. Hundreds of people come through our doors every week both at our hospitals and community locations, if we can reduce that number it all helps with limiting the spread of infections including COVID-19.”

The new rules for inpatient visiting and outpatients apply to the Northern General Hospital, Hallamshire Hospital, Weston Park Hospital, Jessop Wing and Charles Clifford Dental Hospital as well as community health clinics run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are as follows:

• No visitors who have flu like symptoms or colds are allowed to visit

• If it is essential that if are you visiting someone who is an in-patient that you are one of 2 pre-identified visitors. The same two people who have been notified to the ward must be the only visitors each time there is a visit unless there are exceptional circumstances agreed with the ward in advance.

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• Vulnerable people must not be one of the two identified visitors – this would be any person who is immuno compromised.

• All visitors MUST wash their hands on entry and exit to the unit.

• No children under 16 to visit unless exceptional circumstances.

• Visitors to consider perhaps having shorter visits.

Patients who are attending outpatient appointments should consider attending by themselves unless they need someone with them.