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.

We have put further safety measures in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Help us to prevent the spread of infection

Do NOT come to hospital if you have:

COVID-19 symptoms
tested positive for COVID-19
been told to self isolate, or anyone you live with is self isolating
returned from any COVID-19 restricted country in the last 14 days
flu-like symptoms, vomiting and or diarrhoea.

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

Please call NHS 111 for medical advice.

How to stay safe from COVID-19 in hospital

People with COVID-19 can have very mild or no symptoms at all. This means they can spread the virus to other people without knowing.

We care for vulnerable people and our staff see lots of patients each day. It’s really important we all take responsibility for reducing the spread of COVID-19

We want to keep you, your family, other patients and our staff safe. Because we care, we might ask you to do things differently while you are here.

Wear a fluid resistant surgical facemask

All visitors and carers MUST wear a fluid resistant surgical facemask while on our hospital premises.
It reduces the risk of you passing COVID-19 onto other patients and staff.
These facemasks are available at every hospital entrance.
Please wear your facemask at all times when you come to one of our hospitals.
Even if you do not have any symptoms, you must wear your mask properly (covering your nose and mouth) at all times.

If you can not wear a facemask for any reason, please tell us. For safety reasons, the following groups do not need to wear a facemask:

young children under the age of 2
anyone with breathing or developmental difficulties
an unconscious person
anyone who experiences genuine discomfort or distress while wearing a face mask
pregnant women who have gone into labour
anyone unable to remove their mask without assistance

Wash your hands

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

Watch an NHS video on how to wash your hands thoroughly to reduce the risk of infection.
You can also see our 13-step guide on how to wash your hands
Try not to touch your face (including your mouth, nose and eyes) as this is an easy way to spread the virus.

Keep your distance

Leave at least 2 metres between you and other people. It’s one of the main things you can do to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

Stay in place

We know it can be hard to stay in the same place for a long time, but moving around can quickly spread the virus, especially if you do not know you have it. It also increases the chance of you catching it.

Please do NOT visit other parts of the hospital unless you’re asked to by a member of staff.
If you’re asked to stay in a waiting or treatment area, please stay there.
If you think you need to go somewhere for example to get food/drink or go outside for fresh air, check with your care team first.

What to do if you’re attending an outpatient appointment

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

You must attend appointments ALONE unless you need support.

A family member or carer can accompany patients who:

are under 16
have a learning disability, or cognitive impairment, or autism
have communication challenges including hearing or visual impairment
do not speak English as their first language.

Check your appointment letter and:

follow instructions about where to wait
avoid waiting in confined spaces
avoid entering the building until 5 minutes before your appointment
wait in your car if we ask you to until we call you for your appointment.

Video or telephone appointments

If you have a telephone or video appointment, please be available at the time of your appointment. We’ll contact you within 1 hour of your appointment time.

If you need further assistance

If you need assistance getting from the car park or hospital bus stop, or need an interpreter for your appointment, please tell us by calling the outpatients bookings team. You’ll find the telephone number on your appointment letter.

Accessing our hospital entrances

We have restricted the entrances into our hospitals and you may need to enter our buildings via a different entrance from previous visits.

Patient screening

We screen all patients attending appointments. If there could be a risk of COVID-19 infection you may be asked to return home and we’ll reschedule your appointment.

Our staff wear appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE).
Any patients with COVID-19 symptoms are being cared for in a separate part of the hospital.

If your symptoms get worse

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

If you’re coming to stay in hospital for treatment

Regular testing helps us to find out if people have COVID-19 but don’t have any symptoms. This means we can take the right steps to protect you and others.

We may need you to take regular tests to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
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.