All visiting at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill is being stopped from Wednesday in line with the Government’s social isolation policy to protect staff and patients during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is stopping all visiting to patients unless in a few exceptions approved in advance by senior ward staff. Those exceptions include end-of-life care, birthing partners when a woman is in labour and one parent only for children in our paediatric wards and neonatal intensive care unit.
Chief Executive Chris Long said: “In light of the Government’s instruction over social isolation and the need to stop all but essential travel, we have no alternative but to cease all visiting at our hospitals from Wednesday.
“This is not a step we take lightly. But it is a step we must take if we are to have any chance to protecting our staff and patients from the virus.”
The trust has delayed the introduction of visiting restrictions until Wednesday to give members of the public time to make alternative arrangements.
Staff will be redeployed from other areas to work on wards answering increased telephone calls from relatives to ensure ward staff are not diverted from frontline care to answer phones.
Additional security will be brought in to ensure people do not attempt to flout the restrictions and place hospital teams and patients in danger by attempting to get onto wards.
Until the restrictions come into force on Wednesday, the trust is renewing its plea for visitors to stay away from hospital if they have a high temperature or dry, continuous cough or are vulnerable as a result of their medication, a chronic illness or they are over 70 years of age.
