THE Western Trust has announced that Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry is moving to ‘1-1-1’ visiting restrictions, (one visitor per patient for one hour, once a day).
The new visiting arrangements take effect in all Western Trust Hospital sites from Monday 27th September.
Visiting to the North West Cancer Centre will continue to be restricted due to the clinical vulnerability of patients, the hospital confirmed.
Commenting on the new guidance, Western Trust Executive Director of Nursing, Primary Care and Older People’s Services, Dr Bob Brown, said: “As a Trust we recognise the importance of visiting patients in Hospitals and that it can be a great support, particularly for older people.
“We want to be able to facilitate safe, secure visiting in as controlled and risk managed a way as possible and for that reason, looking at the transmission rates and evaluating risk assessments from across all of our Hospitals, from Monday the 27th of September we will implement consistent visiting arrangements in all Trust facilities for one visitor per patient for one hour, once a day.
“Some exceptions will be made in special circumstances, for example, given the clinical vulnerability of the patient group, particularly in the haematology setting, visiting in the North West Cancer Centre will continue to be restricted to assessment on an individual basis involving the patient, family and team.”
It has also been announced that these conditions will also apply to both Covid and ICU wards, where in the interests of patient safety visitation will be by individual negotiation with Ward Managers on a case by case basis.
More frequent visiting in exceptional circumstances, such as at the end of life will continue to be permitted, as will visiting for birthing partners to maternity services, each in an individually risk assessed way.
Paediatric wards (children’s) in Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospital will continue to permit a parent to be at the child’s bedside, again ensuring this is risk assessed and in a COVID-19 secure way.
This position will be reviewed again on Friday 01st October 2021.
