Designated visitors now allowed for non-Covid patients

FAMILY and friends will be able to visit hospital patients from this week as lockdown eases.

Until now, hospital visits during the pandemic have only been permitted in limited essential circumstances including where a patient is reaching the end of their life, as a birthing partner or where people with mental health issues would be left distressed if they did not receive a visit.

From tomorrow, patients can have a designated visitor, though they will have to follow strict public health guidance, arrange a time to visit in advance with ward staff, and not visit any other patient in the hospital.

They must also adhere to hand hygiene and face-covering guidance, maintain strict physical distancing in communal areas of the hospital, and not visit if they have symptoms of Covid-19.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Restricting access to people in hospital has been necessary to keep patients and staff as safe as possible and it has helped us protect the capacity and resilience of NHS Scotland. I want to thank everyone who has followed this guidance as I know how hard it has been for patients, families and carers not to have seen their loved ones in hospital.

“The continued progress we are making in suppressing the virus has allowed us to safely, and in a series of phases, resume hospital visiting in line with clinical expert advice.

“There is a need to balance the risk of physical and psychological harm that the absence of visitors can cause, with the gradual reduction of Covid-19. We have worked with

Health Protection Scotland to plan how we safely restore a person-centred approach to visiting in Scotland’s hospitals.

Patients with Covid-19 can have essential visitors.

The Scottish Government said specific visiting arrangements may vary between health boards depending on the type of care patients are receiving, and the space available in different care settings to maintain physical distancing.

The news came as the number of daily coronavirus cases in Scotland fell back to single figures after a rise on Friday led Nicola Sturgeon to warn against complacency. Statistics released yesterday show that 18,340 people have tested positive for coronavirus, an increase of seven in the last 24 hours.

No Covid-19 deaths were reported over that period, meaning the total number of fatalities remains at 2,490.

This is the third day in a row without any new deaths.

The First Minister announced at her daily briefing on Friday that 18 people had tested positive for Covid-19 over the previous day – the highest number of new cases of the virus for three weeks.

She said the rise was being “looked at very closely” and served as a reminder the virus has not gone away.

On Twitter, Nicola Sturgeon said: “Positive cases in past 24 hrs back in single figures (7) after yesterday’s increase.

“Also, another day with no registered deaths amongst people who had tested positive.

“Progress still good – but with significant easing of lockdown next week, we all must take care #StaySafe.”