Hospital visitor rules easing
HOSPITAL visiting restrictions are being eased under new measures announced by the Welsh Government.
Updated guidance, effective from Monday, has been issued to allow health boards and NHS trusts to “strike a balance” between allowing visiting while maintaining strict infection control measures.
Most visiting will have to be approved by the nurse in charge and will only be permitted as long as visitors do not have any Covid-19 symptoms or have not been “knowingly exposed” to someone with the virus in the past 14 days.
The latest guidance also acknowledges the innovative ways NHS staff have enabled patients to stay in touch with their families and friends virtually.
But it states that visiting cannot return to “business as usual” as the virus is still spreading.
“Face-to-face visiting should be with a purpose ie. not just a social occasion,” the guidance states.
“It is to improve the wellbeing and aid the recovery of a patient or benefit the wellbeing of a visitor eg. a visit from a young person who is distressed at not being able to see their parent, guardian or carer.”
Under the new rules, when it comes to paediatric inpatients and patients on neonatal wards, one parent, guardian or carer is allowed at the bedside at a time.
Patients in the last days of their life can have up to two visitors at a time – for a specified amount of time – from the same household or part of an extended household. If they are not from same household, or not part of an extended household, they should visit the bedside separately and maintain distance outside of the clinical area.
For patients with mental health needs, learning disability or cognitive impairment, one visitor is allowed at a time.
However, this only applies where lack of visiting would “cause distress”, or is required as a “reasonable adjustment to support access to health assessment or intervention”.
People with long-term conditions who need to be in hospital for an extended period of time can have a visitor, particularly if they actively contribute to their care, such as helping with feeding.
When it comes to urgent appointments, such as visits to A&E, someone may be allowed to accompany the patient in an ambulance at the discretion of ambulance/emergency department staff.