Sheffield hospitals issue important new advice to visitors during coronavirus outbreak

From today, in light of new national guidance, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the city’s five adult hospitals and all adult community services, is changing visiting arrangements to help protect patients, staff and visitors from COVID-19.

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Patients will be asked to identify just one family member to visit and they will be restricted to one hour at a time.

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The Trust is also asking patients to attend outpatient appointments on their own if they do not need to be accompanied.

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Professor Chris Morley, Chief Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “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.

“We are asking people who are in-patients to please choose one person 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 and Skype to do so where possible.

“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.