Hospital visits restart in weeks

‘Important step towards normality’ from April 26

FAMILIES will be able to visit loved ones in hospital again from next month.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced at yesterday’s Covid briefing that, depending on the continued suppression of the virus, one visitor will be allowed per patient.

She said it would not be a return to ‘normal visiting’ but would be ‘an important step towards normality’.

Details of how this will be organised are being finalised.

The Scottish Government said there were no further details on the move, due to begin on April 26.

Care home visiting has already resumed, with families allowed to see and hug their loved ones if they wear face coverings. Care home visitors are also asked to do on-the-spot rapid Covid tests.

Visits to hospital wards have been suspended since the start of the pandemic unless a patient is reaching the end of their life, or in other exceptional circumstances.

But with more than two million Scots vaccinated and testing in place for NHS staff and patients, restrictions are being eased.

Miss Freeman said: ‘These restrictions have been unimaginably difficult for patients, and for their loved ones. Imposing them has been one of the – among many – difficult decisions that we have had to take.

‘But we also know that it has been essential in protecting patients and staff and in minimising the spread of the virus.

‘I am pleased to confirm that – subject to continued suppression of the virus – hospital visiting will restart, from April 26.

‘Initially, only one visitor will be allowed for each patient.

‘We will be issuing guidance to health boards to help them ensure that visits are as safe as possible, and also to help ensure patients and their loved ones understand what will be possible and what we need them to do to help support that.’ Miss Freeman said more funding will also be made available for so-called digital visits using tablets or other devices, though no figure was provided.

For most patients, virtual visits and phone calls have been the only way they have been able to stay in touch with loved ones.

‘Virtual visits have been used throughout the pandemic in circumstances where an in-person visit has still not been possible, and they have proved themselves to be a valuable alternative,’ Miss Freeman said. But she added: ‘Of course, it’s no substitute for person-to-person visiting.’

Meanwhile, it was also announced that Scotland has recorded eight more deaths from Covid.

It brings the tragic toll of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days to 7,554.

Another 655 people had also tested positive for the infection in the previous 24 hours.

Miss Freeman said that of the latest positive tests, 162 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, 138 in Lothian and 134 in Lanarkshire.

There are 397 people in Scottish hospitals confirmed to have the infection, down eight in 24 hours, with 35 patients in intensive care, a decrease of three.

As of yesterday morning, 2,066,460 people in Scotland had received their first dose of a vaccine, up 43,458 from Thursday.

A further 9,335 people had a second vaccine dose, taking that total to 201,435.

Office for National Statistics figures show that the percentage of people in the community with Covid rose slightly in the week ending March 13, from 0.31 per cent previously to around 0.37 per cent of the population.