Bassetlaw Hospital updates visiting restrictions after rise in Covid cases

As of July 1, the following restrictions are in place across the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals three main sites in Bassetlaw, Doncaster and Mexborough:

· Adult inpatients – One named visitor per person for one hour a day. Visitors must have their temperature taken and they must complete the screening questions on arrival. There will be a booking system so that there is only one person per bay visiting at any one time and a record of visitors will be kept for test and trace purposes.

· End of Life Care – Open visiting is still available for patients receiving End of Life care – However, all visitors will need to follow the screening process above. Please call ahead and the team will endeavour to facilitate larger families.

· Learning disabilities, complex needs and those with dementia – Two named visitors are permitted but at different times (only one visitor at a time). However, these visitors are not restricted to one hour.

· Elective surgery and procedures – All visiting must be conducted virtually (via a phone, tablet or laptop), and is only permitted on compassionate grounds. If unsure, call the service you wish to visit.

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· Paediatric care – No change, for full guidance please visit dbth.nhs.uk.

· Maternity services – No change, for full guidance please visit dbth.nhs.uk.

· Outpatients – For those attending for an appointment, one individual may accompany, however please note that they may be asked to leave if social distancing becomes a problem. If unsure, please call ahead.

· Emergency Department (A&E) – No visitors are permitted apart from in exceptional circumstances. Please discuss with Nurse-in-Charge for adult patients if they fall into the category above (end of life care and learning disabilities/complex needs).

Colleagues ask that those wishing to visit call ahead of time to book their time slot.

David Purdue, chief nurse and deputy chief executive, said: “Over the last 10 days or so, we have seen an increase in cases of COVID in the community.

"As a result of this, and to minimise as much as we can the risk of COVID coming into our hospitals, we are reintroducing some visiting restrictions in certain areas of the Trust.

“We ask that individuals read the guidance carefully and we will continue to review our position on a regular basis.

"I want to also stress the importance that anyone coming to our sites must wear an appropriate face covering, wash their hands regularly and please do not attend, under any circumstances, if you have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting or a temperature.”

All current visiting restrictions, as well as contact details, can be viewed on the Trust’s website on www.dbth.nhs.uk.

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