Parent and family contact with young people at Ellern Mede hospitals is given a high priority. We continued throughout the Covid pandemic to facilitate safe visiting arrangements. The following was in place during 2020.
- Ellern Mede Group Visiting Rules 23rd September 2020
- Where patients and parents can safely continue to communicate via technology, we would encourage them to do so in at least some instances. The ambition of the Ellern Mede team remains to minimise all external visits to the hospitals as much as possible (which to date has worked well.
- With the current spike in cases, Public Health England’s guidance is our indicator for restricting visitors e.g. if you are visiting FROM an “area of enhanced support” or an “area of intervention”, you CANNOT visit the hospital. If, as situations change, any Ellern Mede hospitals themselves fall into those categories of enhanced support or intervention, then regardless of where you are travelling from, you CANNOT visit the hospital. This will be monitored regularly, and advice will be changed to reflect the current risks. At this point in time, Rotherham is potentially an area of concern and this is where Ellern Mede Moorgate is situated.
- Per Family visits are once again reduced to ONE visit per week by up to ONE parent or family member from the same household or bubble and time is again limited to 90 minutes for each visit. This can be split to 45 mins and utilised by TWO family members.
- Visits to each hospital site will still be limited to a maximum of 10 appropriately spaced parental visits per day (12 parental visits on weekends).
- Visits to be agreed at least 24 hours in advance (48 hours for weekend visits) by the Ward Manager.
- Please arrive within 15 minutes of the agreed time and use the intercom system or phone to alert the ward staff. You will be met by a member of the ward team.
- Please complete / confirm the health questionnaire and temperature. In the case of any temperature above 37.8 centigrade, the visitor will be advised, and the visit will not take place.
- Please wash hands thoroughly on arrival before going to the visiting area or room.
- Observe social distancing at all times during the visit.
- The use of mandatory surgical face coverings applies to all members of the public when in the hospital setting, including visiting and outpatient appointments
- Whenever the weather is appropriate and it is safe to do so, visits will be in the garden areas. If a local park can be used, then a staff member will be assigned. Otherwise, we will use a “designated visiting area”
- When the visit is complete, if a room is used, we will clean the room with antiseptic wipes or spray by the Ellern Mede housekeeping team or in their absence the care staff team member.
- All visits and indeed this protocol will be subject to “no notice” cancellation in the event of, for example, severe staffing shortages or an “outbreak” of COVID-19-19 amongst patients. In these cases, and wherever possible, the Ward Manager or Nurse in Change will immediately contact all parents who are due to visit on that day to alert them of the cancellation of the visit and why. Thank you once again for your understanding and patience. Should anything change, we will inform you immediately. You can read our full Covid-19 Action Plan here.
