By Charlotte Webster
IREDALE NHS Foundation Trust has introduced new rules about the number of visitors who can enter its wards to visit an inpatient or to accompany a patient to an appointment, in the wake of the coronavirus crises.
Under the new rules, only one visitor will be allowed on the adult inpatient wards including the maternity ward. Only visitors who are immediate family or carers are allowed to visit and no children under 12 years are permitted into the hospital under the arrangements established to safeguard patients.
Only one visitor and/or birthing partner who is an immediate family is allowed to visit the Children’s ward, and only one parent or caregiver can be resident two parents or caregivers can visit overnight. Visitors are not permitted to visit any inpatient wards, diagnostic and outpatient areas if they are unwell, especially if they have a high temperature or a new, persistent cough or if they are vulnerable as a result of their medication, a chronic illness or they are over 70 years of age
Once the visitor has completed their visit, other visitors will not be permitted to swap places. Instead, other family members or carers should arrange between them to make a separate visit at a different time
Family, friends and other well-wishers are not permitted to gather in the hospital, as this increases the risk of infection. All visitors should follow good hygiene practice (wash their hands before and after visiting, use hand sanitisers on the ward).
Rob Aitchison, Chief Operating Officer at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: “For everyone’s safety we are reducing the number of visitors to the hospital.
“We appreciate these may be hard to follow and we understand that many people want to visit the hospital with other friends and family to offer support, however, coronavirus is a serious infectious disease and we must do everything we can to slow the spread.
“This means reducing the number of people visiting the hospital. We would encourage people to communicate via an alternative method such as using their mobile phone/face time.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support and understanding, and for helping to keep our hospital environment as safe as possible for all our patients, visitors and staff.”
The restrictions, which have taken immediate effect, are: