Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust reintroduce hospital visiting restrictions

Visitors to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and University Hospital Lewisham will be restricted from tomorrow (Wednesday 29 December).

Rising numbers of COVID hospitalisations have led to the measure.

Visitors will be possible for maternity, neonatal and children’s services.

Other areas where visitors will be permitted include as stated on the Trust website include:

“Pregnant women and birthing partners

• Those giving birth will still be able to bring one birthing partner with them when in labour
• You will be able to attend hospital-based antenatal clinics with one other person

•   Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care wards can still be visited by both parents (or by the mother and their chosen partner) at any time.

Children’s wards

• Both parents are permitted to visit children who are inpatients on our paediatric wards.

End-of-Life care

• Patients nearing the end of their lives are permitted to have up to four visitors where arrangements can be made safely. This also applies to end-of-life care patients who are being treated in critical care. You must speak to the ward manager in advance to agree how many visitors are permitted, and when the visits can take place. All visitors will need to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided by the ward team.

Critical Care / Intensive Care Units

• Patients in critical care will be permitted visitors in exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of the clinical teams caring for them. You must speak to critical care in advance to agree the number of visitors and when visits can take place.

Patients with disabilities or specific care needs

Please speak in advance to the relevant ward manager, matron or head of nursing to agree visiting arrangements for patients with specific care needs. This includes arranging visits for:

• Patients with dementia, learning disabilities or mental health needs
• Patients who are in distress or who require an interpreter
• Patients whose health is deteriorating due to isolation”

Where visitors are allowed conditions exist, with those visiting hospitals required “to wear a face covering, follow social distancing guidelines and show proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within the last 24 hours to be able to enter. You can order a lateral flow test and register the result on the  government website to get proof as a text/email. Alternatively, you can call 119 from 7am to 11pm if it is not possible to use the government website.”

Measures begin at 9am tomorrow.

Running a site alone takes time and a fair bit of money. Adverts are far from enough to cover it and my living costs as a private renter.