Toggle site contrast Toggle Contract

Infection prevention and control

We see thousands of patients every week across our hospitals. High volumes of people indoors increase the spread and risk of infection which we take very seriously.

We want you to feel confident that you’re getting the right care in a clean and safe environment. You can help to reduce the spread of infections in our hospitals by following some simple guidelines.

Help us to prevent the spread of infection

Don’t come to hospital if you have:

  • COVID-19 symptoms
  • flu-like symptoms
  • vomiting and/or diarrhoea
  • an unexplained rash (or contact with someone with a rash).

If you have an appointment at one of our hospitals, call us so we can rearrange.

Please call NHS 111 for medical advice.

Guidance on wearing facemasks

Patients are strongly advised to wear a face mask:

  • Unless they are exempt or are unable to, patients are asked to wear a face mask when attending emergency or urgent care areas, including Emergency Departments, Children’s Emergency Department, Cardiac and Stroke Receiving Unit (CSRU), maternity triage, Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC) and Ward 15.
  • Patients will be asked to wear face masks if they have symptoms of a respiratory illness, e.g. COVID, Flu or other respiratory-borne diseases such as TB or measles.
  • In settings where patients are at high risk of infection due to immunosuppression, e.g., oncology/haematology, patients may be encouraged to wear a facemask following a local risk assessment.
  • If tolerated, patients with respiratory symptoms will be asked to wear a face mask in outpatient or community settings.

Visitors will be requested to wear face masks if they are attending the emergency or urgent care areas (listed above), visiting immunocompromised patients or as advised by our infection prevention and control team (for example, visiting patients with COVID-19 or on outbreak wards), or if it is their preference.

Wash your hands

Picking up an infection in hospital is a concern for many patients. Although most patients don’t get an infection, we’re committed to reducing infection rates to an absolute minimum.

COVID-19 and other viruses and bacteria can stay on surfaces for some time. To protect yourself and your loved ones, wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser as often as possible, especially:

  • when you enter and leave the ward area
  • before eating
  • after using the toilet or sanitary products
  • whenever you can see your hands are dirty
  • after visiting a patient.

You can also:

If you have an appointment at one of our hospital sites it’s important that you attend. If you can’t come for any reason, call us on the telephone number on your appointment letter as soon as possible.

If your symptoms get worse

If your symptoms get worse before your appointment, call your GP or the appropriate hospital team for advice as soon as possible.

We may need you to take regular tests to help reduce the spread of infection during your hospital stay.

If you test positive for COVID-19, we may move you to a different room to keep people around you safe and so that we can provide you with the right type of care.

Working together to protect each other

It’s ok to remind doctors, nurses and other patients that we need to make space for each other and to cover our mouths and noses. Reminders can help us all to look out for each other.

Infection prevention and control screening questionnaires for patients attending hospital appointments.

 

Other ways to keep everyone safe

To help keep us all safe, don’t:

  • sit on other patients’ beds or seats
  • share food and drink or other items, for example newspapers
  • pick up or move items for other people
  • help other patients to walk or move around.

If you or another patient need something, ask our staff. We’re trained to help in a safe way.

 

More information

If you want to know more about how we’re trying to stop COVID-19 spreading and keep people safe, please ask a member of staff.
Find out more about COVID-19 including the latest government guidelines

For advice or further assistance before your appointment, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

Infection Prevention and Control patient information